Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hosted by the World Internet Conference (WIC), organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the 2026 WIC Asia‑Pacific Summit officially began today (April 13) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Building on its successful debut last year, Hong Kong is once again organising this international Internet flagship event, further reinforcing the city’s role as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. Themed “Digital and Intelligent Empowerment for Innovative Development – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”, the two-day Summit is expected to gather around 1 000 government and business leaders, representatives of international organisations, experts and scholars from over 50 countries and regions to jointly deepen regional digital collaboration, and create new momentum and advantages towards the development of the Asia-Pacific region.
The WIC once again has designated Hong Kong to host the Asia-Pacific Summit, affirming Hong Kong’s pivotal role as an important bridge and two-way platform connecting the country and the world. At the opening ceremony this morning, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Chairman of the WIC, Mr Zhuang Rongwen, delivered their remarks respectively. Distinguished speakers including the Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, Mr Samuel Migal’; the Chief Executive Officer of GSMA Ltd, Mr John Hoffman; and the Chairman of the International AI Governance Association, Mr John Higgins, were invited to share their insights.
Alongside the Summit, Hong Kong’s annual I&T mega event, the Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week), is taking place concurrently in April. The InnoEX, themed “Innovate • Automate • Elevate” this year, brings together I&T enterprises, industry elites and buyers from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas to jointly promote the application of cutting-edge technology solutions in five key areas, namely AI+, robotics, the low-altitude economy, property technology and retail technology, while exploring global collaboration opportunities. The series of exciting I&T activities elevates Hong Kong’s I&T atmosphere to new heights and accelerates the city’s development into an international I&T centre.