Beijing Obliged To Support HK On Tech: Official

A top Beijing official overseeing science and technology said on Tuesday that he hopes a newly announced initiative to turn Hong Kong into an international innovation hub will bring the SAR fully into the national drive to advance innovative technology.

Huang Wei, vice minister of Science and Technology, told top officials and scientists at a local innovation forum in Hong Kong that President Xi Jinping's directive to give local researchers greater access to national-level funding effectively puts local laboratories on an equal footing with mainland institutions.

Huang said the mainland is obliged to support Hong Kong to become an international technology centre under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.

He said 16 local labs – known as State Key Laboratories that are affiliated with partner institutions across the border – have already been given national funds as of last month.

He added that other laboratories will be allowed to apply for such funding – just like mainland institutions – to ramp up cooperation between the two sides.

At the forum, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the new arrangement shows President Xi's care and love for local scientists.

Lam said she is confident that the initiative will be a shot in the arm for the development of the city's hi-tech sector, adding that the new arrangement is a breakthrough for local scientists who had previously been denied access to national-level grants.

She added that she has been working hard with Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong over the past few months to push through the related cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland.