Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026 today (April 20):

Chairman Lu Weiding (Deputy to the People’s National Congress, Vice Chairman to All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wanxiang Group, Mr Lu Weiding), Dr Xiao (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HashKey Group, Dr Xiao Feng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to join you at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026 – a gathering of dreamers, innovators and investors who are exploring and building the next generation of financial and technological infrastructure.

When Web3 meets digital intelligence

We are meeting at an important moment, as 2026 is very much a turning point. On the one hand, Web3 is maturing, with its applications extending into more parts of the real economy. Around the world, financial institutions are increasingly using digital assets and tokenisation to enhance efficiency, cut costs, shorten settlement times, and devise innovative products for clients.

More types of assets – from money and bonds to real assets and future income – are being represented in tokens that can move easily and come in smaller, more accessible units. This is creating new ways to invest, fund projects, and share risks across a wider community of participants.

On the other hand, driven by AI, universal connection and omnipresence of data, digital intelligence is being embedded into the economy. The rise of agentic AI this year is another remarkable milestone. They can analyse information, make decisions, and carry out actions on their own, including interacting directly with other systems.

No doubt, the intersection of Web3 and AI is a game changer. We can expect a future where AI agents analyse information and act at machine speed, making full use of blockchain infrastructure in the background. Together, they will lift transaction efficiency to a new level, reshaping a wide range of activities – from finance and trade to wealth management, supply chain operations and logistics.

The issues to be addressed

This combination will create massive new opportunities. But it also raises a number of issues that we must address together.

First, the speed gap. If AI can act in milliseconds, then the related infrastructure, including payments and settlement systems must keep pace. It cannot wait for days, or even hours. But here, the challenge is not only about technology. In the global Web3 environment, we also need common standards and close cross-border co-operation, so that activity can be recognised, processed and supervised in a broadly consistent way across jurisdictions.

Second, human control and security. Agentic AI has the ability to make decisions autonomously. This means that we must ensure that its behaviour remains predictable, traceable and open to human intervention. We need clear guardrails so that people stay in control; and so that misuse, manipulation or cascading errors can be detected and stopped in time.

Third, regulation and accountability. As AI-driven activity moves across many platforms, products and markets, we must make sure that regulation and governance frameworks follow suit so that investors, users and consumers are properly protected. With the growing power of AI, we must also address risks such as cybersecurity threats, scams and system bias in a co-ordinated way.

Above all, decentralisation and digital intelligence do not mean weaker accountability or lower standards. Instead, they can enable smarter ways to build compliance and oversight into the financial system, strengthening its overall integrity.

Hong Kong’s vision and pathway

In light of these developments, you may be interested in the position that Hong Kong takes. Let me set out our approach.

On Web3 and AI, Hong Kong’s approach has been clear and consistent. Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, embraces innovation and new technologies. Web3, tokenisation and AI are now becoming important building blocks for the future of mainstream finance. Our doors are open to Web3 entrepreneurs and institutions worldwide who want to build and scale their business here.

As we chart our course in these areas, a few principles will continue to guide our strategy and policies.

First, we maintain a balanced, forward looking regime guided by the principle of “same activity, same risks, same regulation”, with a strong focus on risk management and investor protection.

Second, we believe that the real value of blockchain technology and digital assets lies in solving real-life problems, reducing costs, speeding up settlements, improving transparency and making financial services more inclusive.

Third, we are firmly pro innovation. Indeed, our regulators carry a dual mandate: prudent regulation and market facilitation. They work side by side with innovators through sandboxes and pilots, testing new tools in a controlled environment, identifying risks early and providing timely, practical feedback.

These principles are central to our approach to digital assets. An example is stablecoins, for which we issued two issuer licences earlier this month. Stablecoins have significant potential to address long-standing pain points in economic activity, especially in cross-border trade and payments. At the same time, we must firmly protect users, the wider public and the stability of the financial system. That is why we have adopted a prudent, step-by-step approach, with a strong compliance culture and capability as a prerequisite for any stablecoin issuer.

We are taking the lead in encouraging more tokenisation. We have issued multiple rounds of tokenised green and infrastructure bonds amounting to over US$2 billion. These transactions have helped demonstrate how tokenisation can improve settlement efficiency and broaden market participation. We have now regularised such issuances.

We are determined to drive more innovative use cases in tokenisation. For example, building on Project Ensemble, the HKMA (Hong Kong Monetary Authority) launched EnsembleTX last November. This pilot allows market participants to use tokenised deposits in money market fund transactions, and to manage liquidity and treasury positions in real time.

With AI becoming such a powerful force, our mission is to harness it to empower different industries. We call this “AI+”. That is why, as outlined in this year’s Budget, we will establish the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy. The convergence of Web3 and AI, and the opportunities and challenges they create for finance and other sectors, will be one focus area for this Committee.

Closing

Looking ahead, there is still much to do as we enter an accelerated phase of Web3 and AI. This will require us to encourage and support more innovative applications, while continuously learning from experience and enhancing our frameworks to keep pace with change.

By maintaining an open and balanced attitude, I am confident that Hong Kong will become a hub where the next generation of technologies are developed, applied and scaled – ambitiously and responsibly.

I invite all of you – innovators, entrepreneurs and investors – to join us as we move forward.

On this note, I wish the Hong Kong Web3 Festival every success, and all of you the best of health and business. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced today (April 20) that a tender of 3-year RMB institutional Government Bonds (Bonds) through the re-opening of existing 5-year Government Bond issue 05GB2912002 under the Infrastructure Bond Programme will be held on April 23, 2026 (Thursday), for settlement on April 27, 2026 (Monday).
 
An additional amount of RMB1.0 billion of the outstanding 5-year Bonds (issue no. 05GB2912002) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on December 10, 2029 and will carry interest at the rate of 2.37 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on April 20, 2026 are 102.64 with a semi-annualised yield of 1.620 per cent.
 
Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk. Each tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof.
 
Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK ) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day.
 
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Information

Tender information of 3-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
 

Issue Number	:	05GB2912002
Stock Code	:	84596 (HKGB2.37 2912-R)
Tender Date and Time	:	April 23, 2026 (Thursday) 9.30 am to 10.30 am
Issue and Settlement Date	:	April 27, 2026 (Monday)
Amount on Offer	:	RMB1.0 billion
Maturity	:	3 years
Remaining maturity	:	Approximately 3.62 years
Maturity Date	:	December 10, 2029 (Monday)
Interest Rate	:	2.37 per cent p.a. payable semi-annually in arrear
Interest Payment Dates	:	June 9 and December 9 in each year, commencing on the Issue Date up to and including the Maturity Date, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Institutional Issuances Information Memorandum of the Infrastructure Bond Programme and Government Sustainable Bond Programme (Information Memorandum) published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.
Method of Tender	:	Competitive tender
Tender Amount	:	Each competitive tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof. Any tender applications for the Bonds must be submitted through a Primary Dealer on the latest published list. The accrued interest to be paid by successful bidders on the issue date (April 27, 2026) for the tender amount is RMB451.27 per minimum denomination of RMB50,000. (The accrued interest to be paid for tender amount exceeding RMB50,000 may not be exactly equal to the figures calculated from the accrued interest per minimum denomination of RMB50,000 due to rounding).
Other Details	:	Please see the Information Memorandum available on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website or approach Primary Dealers.
Expected commencement date of dealing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited	:	The tender amount is fully fungible with the existing 05GB2912002 (Stock code: 84596) listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
Use of Proceeds	:	The Bonds will be issued under the institutional part of the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Proceeds will be invested in infrastructure projects in accordance with the Infrastructure Bond Framework published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced today (April 20) that a tender of 10-year RMB institutional Government Bonds (Bonds) through the re-opening of existing 10-year Government Bond issue 10GB3505001 under the Infrastructure Bond Programme will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026, for settlement on Monday, April 27, 2026.
 
An additional amount of RMB1.5 billion of the outstanding 10-year Bonds (issue no. 10GB3505001) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on May 15, 2035 and will carry interest at the rate of 2.29 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on April 20, 2026 are 102.99 with a semi-annualised yield of 1.929 per cent.
 
Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk. Each tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof.
 
Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK ) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day.

HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Information

Tender information of 10-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
 

Issue Number	:	10GB3505001
Stock Code	:	85024 (HKGB2.29 3505-R)
Tender Date and Time	:	Thursday, April 23, 2026 9.30am to 10.30am
Issue and Settlement Date	:	Monday, April 27, 2026
Amount on Offer	:	RMB1.5 billion
Maturity	:	10 years
Remaining maturity	:	Approximately 9.05 years
Maturity Date	:	Tuesday, May 15, 2035
Interest Rate	:	2.29 per cent p.a. payable semi-annually in arrear
Interest Payment Dates	:	May 15 and November 15 in each year, commencing on the Issue Date up to and including the Maturity Date, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Institutional Issuances Information Memorandum of the Infrastructure Bond Programme and Government Sustainable Bond Programme (Information Memorandum) published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.
Method of Tender	:	Competitive tender
Tender Amount	:	Each competitive tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof. Any tender applications for the Bonds must be submitted through a Primary Dealer on the latest published list. The accrued interest to be paid by successful bidders on the issue date (April 27, 2026) for the tender amount is RMB505.05 per minimum denomination of RMB50,000. (The accrued interest to be paid for tender amount exceeding RMB50,000 may not be exactly equal to the figures calculated from the accrued interest per minimum denomination of RMB50,000 due to rounding).
Other Details	:	Please see the Information Memorandum available on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website or approach Primary Dealers.
Expected commencement date of dealing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited	:	The tender amount is fully fungible with the existing 10GB3505001 (Stock code: 85024) listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
Use of Proceeds	:	The Bonds will be issued under the institutional part of the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Proceeds will be invested in infrastructure projects in accordance with the Infrastructure Bond Framework published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Registry of Trade Unions (RTU) of the Labour Department organised the Seminar on National Security for Trade Unions (the Seminar) today (April 18) to enhance the awareness and sense of responsibility of trade unions in safeguarding national security. The Seminar featured exchanges of measures taken by the labour sector to safeguard national security, contributing to the security and development of the country and Hong Kong. Co-organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, the Seminar attracted around 420 participants on-site and online.

The Seminar was officiated by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun. In his opening remarks, Mr Sun said that the successful conclusion of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election last year, which fully implemented the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and faithfully upheld the principle of “one country, two systems”, was a crucial realisation of strengthening the national security shield. The voter turnout rate in the functional constituency of the labour sector was nearly 90 per cent, fully reflecting the proactiveness of the labour sector in safeguarding the country and home. As this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, it is incumbent upon all sectors of the community to consider and act on how Hong Kong can make full use of its strengths to serve the country’s needs and further integrate into the overall national development. He encouraged the labour sector to seize the opportunities from the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and help contribute Hong Kong’s strengths to the country’s development. 

Mr Sun added that apart from the establishment of solid institutional safeguards, every individual and institution must also have the commitment to national security. The National 15th Five-Year Plan clearly states the need to strengthen national security education and fortify the defensive line in people. According to the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) shall promote national security education through social organisations, including trade unions, to raise the awareness of national security and law-abidingness among Hong Kong residents. He called on the labour sector’s concerted efforts to safeguard national security.

At the Seminar, the President of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and LegCo Member, Mr Stanley Ng, and the Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions and LegCo Member, Mr Lam Chun-sing, shared their insights on the labour sector’s role in safeguarding national security.

 The Seminar featured two keynote presentations, including a succinct exposition on how Hong Kong safeguards national security by the former Vice-chairperson of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and former Secretary for Justice, Dr Elsie Leung, who also shared her valuable insights on national security; and a brief overview on the newly amended Trade Unions Ordinance by the Registrar of Trade Unions, Miss Christine But.

Moreover, the Seminar included a panel discussion session in which four guests, namely, Mr Ng; the General Secretary of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions and LegCo Member, Mr Chau Siu-chung; the President of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association, Mr Tsoi Koon-lung; and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union, Mr Fung Chuen-chung, shared the measures and practical experiences of labour organisations and trade unions in promoting national security education.

The RTU will continue to collaborate with labour organisations and trade unions to promote national security education.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur (HKETO Kuala Lumpur) participated in the Malaysia-Hong Kong Industrial Partnership Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (April 20). The Forum aims to explore opportunities for strengthening industrial collaboration between Hong Kong and Malaysia.
 
     It featured a panel session titled “Building Competitive Manufacturing through Productivity, Technology and Industry Linkages”, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two co-organisers of the Forum, namely the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing. The MOU marks an important milestone in fostering industrial collaborations between Hong Kong and Malaysia.
 
     Addressing the Forum, the Director of the HKETO Kuala Lumpur, Mr Owin Fung, highlighted the complementary nature of the two economies, and shared Hong Kong’s advantages and new developments including the Northern Metropolis, the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, the Economic and Trade Express and the AI+ Initiative that would help drive bilateral investments and collaborations on innovation and technology, stimulating industrial partnerships between the two places.
 
     He also highlighted new industrialisation and smart manufacturing as emerging areas of common interest between Hong Kong and Malaysia, and encouraged collaborations between industries of the two economies. “By fostering industry collaborations, we are cocreating value through technology adoption and innovative business models,” Mr Fung said.
 
     Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Mr Sim Tze Tzin, noted the close economic relations between Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the potential of industrial partnerships between the two economies in addressing challenges brought by supply chain disruption.
 
     The Forum brought together about 100 industry leaders, policymakers, technology experts, and academia from both Hong Kong and Malaysia. Focusing on enhancing productivity, accelerating technology adoption, and fostering innovation-driven growth within the manufacturing sector, it provided a robust platform for participants to discuss opportunities for industrial collaboration and practical approaches to enhance competitiveness.
 
     After the Forum, the HKPC delegation and representatives from Hong Kong media proceeded to Penang for visits to several Hong Kong-owned manufacturing facilities that serve to showcase success stories of Hong Kong enterprises in Malaysia.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) welcomed the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) Nexus Ensemble by hosting a Hong Kong Cultural Evening series in Seattle (March 31, Seattle time), San Francisco (April 2, San Francisco time), and Los Angeles (April 6, Los Angeles time). The Nexus Ensemble’s West Coast debut was part of a cultural exchange tour aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Hong Kong and the United States (US).

     The HKAPA Nexus Ensemble is a chamber ensemble formed this year, bringing together outstanding students and alumni of the Academy. The ensemble takes its name from the word “nexus” – a point of connection between musicians, musical traditions, and cultures. The current edition consists of six members including string musicians and coaches.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region