Hong Kong has opened a new international police academy aimed at strengthening cross-border law enforcement cooperation and training local and overseas officers, according to Chief Executive John Lee.

Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony of the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing, Lee said professionalism and operational excellence had helped make the city one of the world’s safest.

He said the academy marked a new phase in which the force would build on its local strengths to expand international collaboration in leadership development and training.

"The academy will deepen international police exchanges. It will do so through training programmes, police leadership forums and other outreach initiatives. The target is to train some 1,000 officers each year, including about 200 overseas law enforcement personnel," he said.

"Training is the academy's core function, but its significance goes further. By bringing law enforcement leaders together, it will strengthen Hong Kong's international partnerships.

"Stronger partnerships will, in turn, reinforce Hong Kong's role as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' — a place that links people and expertise across jurisdictions."

Lee said security challenges are increasingly complex and borderless, citing cybercrime, financial fraud and terrorism as clear examples.

"No jurisdiction can stand alone. Strong international connectivity is therefore vital to global security and prosperity," Lee said.

The academy, he said, is intended to improve cooperation in three areas: infrastructure and operational networks; rules, mechanisms and procedural standards; and people-to-people ties that build lasting trust with partner jurisdictions.

It has set an ambitious schedule, with more than 20 major international training programmes and forums planned by the end of next year.

They include ConvergeHK, a new senior leadership policing forum on shared security challenges, which is expected to draw police leaders from Asean, Belt and Road and Middle East countries next April.

Lee said he was confident the academy would become a hub for international exchange and a strategic investment in shared security, attracting law enforcement agencies from around the world to work towards a safer future.

The Hong Kong International Academy of Policing will share premises with the Hong Kong Police College currently located in Wong Chuk Hang.




Edited by Tony Sabine