People’s Daily Online, Hong Kong, May 14 (Reporter Chen Ran) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council on the 13th held discussions around the motion “Comprehensively Enhancing the Competitiveness of Hong Kong as an International Maritime Centre.” The Hong Kong SAR Government’s Transport and Logistics Bureau stated that it will take the national “15th Five-Year Plan” as a guide, continuing to promote port upgrades, green transformation, smart logistics, and the development of high value-added maritime services, further consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international maritime centre and moving towards becoming a global maritime hub.
In her opening remarks at the meeting, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan stated that the recently announced national “15th Five-Year Plan” outline clearly supports consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s positioning as an international maritime centre, emphasizing leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world. She said the maritime and port industry has always been an important pillar of Hong Kong’s economy, accounting for 1.8% of the local GDP in 2023, contributing HK$51.9 billion, and providing approximately 74,000 jobs.
Mable Chan stated that Hong Kong has ranked fourth globally for the sixth consecutive year in the “2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Maritime Centre Development Index,” reflecting Hong Kong’s continued international leading advantages in port conditions, professional maritime services, and overall business environment. Facing regional competition, the SAR Government will continue to advance the dual-core strategy of enhancing port competitiveness and perfecting the high value-added maritime services ecosystem.
Regarding port collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is deepening the “Rail-Sea-Road-River” multimodal transport system, promoting the transshipment of mainland goods via Yantian Port, Guangxi, and other locations for export to overseas markets through Hong Kong. Among these, multimodal transport models such as the “Kui-Yan Express” barge service and “Daily Sailings” can achieve cross-border transport in as fast as three days, significantly improving logistics efficiency.
Technology empowerment is also a key focus of Hong Kong’s shipping industry transformation. Mable Chan introduced that Hong Kong launched a Port Community System in January this year, utilizing artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data technologies to achieve services such as real-time cargo tracking and “single submission for multiple declarations.” In the four months since the system’s launch, over 6,000 enterprises have registered, and related logistics data has been recognized by nine local banks for trade financing and risk management, promoting the digital integration of trade flows and capital flows.
In terms of green shipping, Hong Kong is accelerating the construction of a green marine fuel bunkering centre. The SAR Government previously announced the “Action Plan on Green Marine Fuel Bunkering,” and can now routinely provide biodiesel and liquefied natural gas bunkering services. In March this year, Hong Kong completed its first anchorage methanol bunkering operation, as well as the first simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo handling operation at a container terminal, marking Hong Kong’s capability for methanol bunkering.
In the area of high value-added maritime services, Hong Kong currently has approximately 1,200 port and shipping-related enterprises, covering fields such as ship management, marine insurance, maritime law, and arbitration. Mable Chan revealed that the SAR Government will submit a legislative amendment bill to the Legislative Council next month to optimize tax concessions for the maritime services industry and provide a half-tax concession for commodity traders, further enhancing the attractiveness of Hong Kong’s shipping services.
In his concluding remarks, Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-sun stated that the global shipping industry is currently facing profound changes such as geopolitics, supply chain restructuring, and green and low-carbon transformation. Hong Kong must seize the critical window period of the next five to ten years, proactively recognizing, responding to, and seeking change. He emphasized that Hong Kong must not only become a regional shipping logistics node but also develop into an international shipping hub integrating capital, services, innovation, and talent.
Liu Chun-sun stated that Hong Kong will continue to leverage its unique advantages under “One Country, Two Systems,” the common law system, its status as an international financial centre, and as a free port. It will strengthen ties with international shipping organizations and enterprises, deepen collaboration with Greater Bay Area ports, and promote the deep integration of shipping, finance, and trade, making greater contributions to the country’s high-level opening up and the construction of a maritime powerhouse.
