摘要：Its mission is to provide global policy-makers, CEOs, scientists & technology pioneers with a platform for peer-to-peer, cross-dis

June 7, 2025

Hong Kong

On behalf of the Boao Forum for Asia, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all the speakers and delegates attending the ISTIF Hong Kong Conference. This is the 4th ISTIF Conference since its inception 6 years ago.

Its mission is to provide global policy-makers, CEOs, scientists & technology pioneers with a platform for peer-to-peer, cross-disciplinary dialogues, not just on cutting-edge technologies & latest trends, but on how they should be governed and applied for good, for people and for sustainable development. The presence of so many distinguished figures testifies to the growing influence of the platform. I thank you and value your great support.

My special appreciation goes to Chief Executive Lee Ka-Chiu & the Hong Kong SAR Government for being such a gracious host. Hong Kong has long been known as an international centre for business, finance, shipping and trade. It’s less known but fast emerging as a centre of technology & innovation. Chief Executive Lee, in his letter welcoming ISTIF to Hong Kong, vows to grow Hong Kong into an International Innovation Hub & a key player in the global tech landscape, leveraging Hong Kong’s role as a “Super-Connector” & a “Super-Value-Adder”. The Boao Forum for Asia and the ISTIF are more than pleased to contribute our bit to your ambition and efforts.

Hong Kong is not alone in putting science, technology and innovation (STI) front & centre of its development strategy. More and more economies have come to see STI as the fundamental driving force of economic well-being and social progress. As President Xi Jinping puts it, science and technology are the primary productive forces, and he urges for new-quality productive forces driven by STI, which has resulted in remarkable breakthroughs such as Deepseek and China’s rapid rise up the global value chain & the Global Innovation Index. My own country, Korea, ranks among the most innovative economies in the world, together with Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, listed Vietnam, Philippines and India as over-performers for catching up so quickly within a short span of 10 years. Asia, as a whole, is fast emerging as a frontrunner or leader in renewables, EV, digital technologies, drones, autonomous driving and AI. Its role as the Chief Engine of Global Growth and Factory of the World is being further empowered & consolidated by strong R&D inputs and awesome technology advances.

Technology, however, should not be left in a free fall, and must be given a purpose. It’s a double-edged sword that carries both benefits and risks. Worries & concerns for emerging technologies going out of control are widespread, real and well-grounded. AI without a purpose or good governance, for instance, may grow too disruptive & destructive for humans to handle. That’s the reason why the United Nations Summit of the Future devoted a whole chapter to STI & its governance in the final Pact for the Future. It cautioned against the potential widening of technology divide within & between developed and developing countries, and called for bold, ambitious & decisive steps to ensure STI are affordable and accessible to all. Technology and innovation must be the catalyst for a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and prosperous future for all. Its purpose is simple and clear: for good, for people, and for sustainable development.

International cooperation is vital. We must foster and promote an open, fair & inclusive eco-system for technology and innovation worldwide. We need stronger North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation to build capacity for & improve access to STI in developing countries. We need international, regional, national & multi-stakeholder efforts to enhance international governance of emerging technologies such as AI.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our world today is undergoing profound and transformational changes, presenting both challenges and opportunities. Technology holds out the best promise of a sustainable future for us all. It may also go awry and lead. The question is, how to maximize its benefit and minimize the hazards & risks. I leave this question to you, and look forward to your vision & insights in the following discussions.

Thank you.

来源：博鳌亚洲论坛