Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Monday said Hong Kong would continue to support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in helping members undertake preparatory work for infrastructure projects, creating favourable conditions for financing and smooth implementation to achieve development goals.

The finance chief made the comments as he attended the AIIB's 11th annual meeting in Doha.

Speaking at a governors' business roundtable, Chan said the AIIB could further promote knowledge and experience sharing among members, strengthen support for project planning and preparation, and help members enhance their project management and implementation capabilities to bring infrastructure projects to fruition.

He said translating development needs into concrete projects requires not only financial support but also the capacity to plan and implement projects throughout their life cycle.

The financial chief also delivered a keynote address on digital public infrastructure, citing Hong Kong's iAM Smart platform and Faster Payment System as examples.

He noted that the rapid development of artificial intelligence was creating new opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of such infrastructure, while stressing the need to strengthen cybersecurity and data privacy.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Chan met with Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov.

He encouraged Uzbek enterprises to make use of Hong Kong's international financing platform, including listing opportunities for exchange-traded products and real estate investment trusts.

Chan also met with the CEO of Qatar Development Bank, Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, to explore joint efforts to promote bilateral trade, support the development of start-ups in both places, and strengthen investment co-operation in venture capital.



Edited by Tony Sabine