The Zhitong Finance App learned that yesterday local time, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Chen Maobo continued his visit to Doha, Qatar, to participate in a series of events at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Council, and met with representatives of many governments and financial institutions to exchange views on topics such as infrastructure financing, digital public infrastructure, investment and economic cooperation.
At the round table, Chen Maobo spoke on how the AIIB can deepen and expand support for member economies. He pointed out that improving climate resilience and developing digital infrastructure have become urgent needs of various economies, and in order to transform these development needs into specific projects, in addition to financial support, full-cycle project planning and execution capabilities are also essential.
Chen Maobo said that Hong Kong, China will continue to support the AIIB in assisting members to advance preparations for infrastructure projects, create favorable conditions for project financing and smooth implementation, and help achieve development goals. At the same time, he welcomed the AIIB's establishment of an office in Hong Kong, and stressed that Hong Kong will actively support its work, give full play to the advantages of an international financial center and professional services, and promote regional infrastructure and sustainable development.
Chen Maobo delivered a keynote speech at the seminar entitled “Digital Public Infrastructure as a Driver for Building a Resilient Economy”. He pointed out that the rapid development of artificial intelligence has brought new opportunities to improve the efficiency of digital public infrastructure. Hong Kong, China is actively promoting the application of artificial intelligence in public services and various economic fields, and supporting innovation and development by improving computing power, data and digital infrastructure facilities, and improving artificial intelligence literacy in all sectors of society. At the same time, the SAR government will strengthen network security, protect data privacy, and improve artificial intelligence risk management, so that citizens and enterprises can safely apply new technology and share the achievements of the digital economy.
During the annual meeting, Chen Maobo met with Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov to exchange views on strengthening cooperation between the two places in the fields of trade, investment, finance and infrastructure construction. He also met with Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, CEO of Qatar Development Bank to discuss joint promotion of bilateral trade, support the development of startups in the two regions, and strengthen investment cooperation in the venture capital sector. Additionally, he met with Danny Alexander, CEO of Infrastructure Finance and Sustainability at HSBC, to discuss infrastructure financing and related cooperation opportunities. In the evening, Chen Maobo attended the AIIB Annual Meeting Members' Dinner hosted by the host Qatar to exchange views with representatives of local governments, multilateral development organizations, financial institutions and the business community.
According to reports, Chan Mao-po finished his visit late last night local time and left for Hong Kong. He is expected to arrive in Hong Kong this afternoon, Hong Kong time.