I am delighted to welcome you to the third Asia Summit on Global Health.

The theme of this year’s Summit is “Reimagining the Future of Healthcare”. Having resumed normalcy after three years of epidemic, now is an opportune time to explore the future of the healthcare industry. This two-day Summit brings together healthcare experts, policymakers, business leaders and investors from around the world to exchange insights and examine opportunities for the industry. The Summit will also analyse how public health policies can integrate with the advancement of medical technology to further enhance the service and efficiency of our healthcare system and prepare for future challenges.

Cities around the globe are facing challenges of ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and Hong Kong is no exception. To strengthen local primary healthcare services, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released the Primary Healthcare Blueprint last year, setting out a series of reform initiatives to strengthen local primary healthcare services. The Summit offers a great chance for experts from different places to share their experiences and discuss ways to improve primary healthcare, such as by adopting the latest technology to solve pressing issues in the industry, thereby assisting the industry to further the contribution to society.

Artificial Intelligence, big data, digital health and biotechnology are among the key topics of this year’s Summit. Apart from a first-class healthcare system supported by dedicated healthcare professionals, Hong Kong has a solid foundation in biotechnology research. We are also the largest fundraising hub for biotechnology companies in the Asia-Pacific. I announced in my 2022 Policy Address that the Government would attract high-quality enterprises and talents by primarily focusing on industries such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, as well as advanced manufacturing and new energy technology to settle in Hong Kong, in order to promote technological advancement and enhance the city’s innovation and technology ecosystem.

With such a distinguished gathering of industry stakeholders from various sectors and different places, the Asia Summit on Global Health serves as an invaluable forum to foster cross-border collaboration and promote innovation and investment among Asia’s healthcare industry.

I thank the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for putting together the third Asia Summit on Global Health in concert with the Government. I wish you all a fruitful Summit and our visitors a memorable stay in Hong Kong.