Hong Kong's Innovation and Technology Bureau: In the past five years, more than ten mainland new energy vehicle industry chain companies have been listed in Hong Kong, raising approximately HK$120 billion.

Professor Sun Dong, Director of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Bureau, responded to questions from legislators in writing today (July 8th), stating that in the past five years, more than ten mainland companies in the new energy vehicle industry chain have been listed in Hong Kong, raising approximately HK$120 billion in total capital. The Hong Kong government will continue to promote the continuous optimization of the listing mechanism of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and provide guidance to facilitate more high-quality companies to list in Hong Kong for financing. Professor Sun pointed out that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has introduced several listing system reforms in recent years to broaden the channels for companies to raise funds in Hong Kong and facilitate different companies to list in Hong Kong. Among them, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will launch a special technology company listing mechanism in 2023, facilitating eligible special technology companies to list and raise funds through a new listing chapter. According to the guidelines of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, various fields related to the new energy vehicle industry chain (including manufacturing and/or deploying autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles and developing related enabling technologies, such as new energy solutions in electric vehicles, positioning technology, etc.) have been included in the acceptable areas under the special technology industry. He mentioned that since the establishment of InvestHK, the organization has been actively attracting enterprises of strategic importance to Hong Kong and identifying target companies in core strategic industries such as advanced manufacturing, new energy technology, artificial intelligence, and data science. InvestHK has provided tailored support and one-stop assistance to help these companies settle in Hong Kong or expand their businesses. InvestHK has announced six batches of 124 key enterprises that have settled in Hong Kong or expanded their operations. Over fifty percent of them are listed companies, over seventy percent have set up global or regional headquarters in Hong Kong, and nearly ninety percent have established or are in the process of establishing research and development centers locally. Many of these companies, as leading enterprises with cutting-edge technologies and global influence, have chosen to establish global or regional headquarters, research and development centers, or supply chain management hubs in Hong Kong, bringing a significant clustering effect to Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem. In terms of autonomous driving, several companies with leading technological advantages have successfully settled in Hong Kong, including Pci Technology Group, Baidu Intelligent Driving, and Unisound AI, and are actively participating in autonomous driving tests in Hong Kong. Westwell Technology and UISEE TECH have also launched unmanned driving solutions at Hong Kong International Airport, further enhancing the testing environment for intelligent driving in Hong Kong. In the field of new energy technology, several leading companies in the new energy vehicle industry chain have settled in Hong Kong, including Contemporary Amperex Technology, Gotion High-tech, GUOFUHEE, Tianqi Lithium Corporation, Nenlink Technology, and Ideal Automotive, covering upstream materials, midstream battery research and development, vehicle manufacturing, and supplementary energy networks, helping Hong Kong establish a more complete new energy vehicle industry ecosystem. In the field of artificial intelligence and data science, covering computing infrastructure and large-scale model development, including Hygon Information Technology, Infinium Technology, BIREN TECH, Maxi Tech, KNOWLEDGE ATLASAI, and MiniMax. He stated that the policies supporting the development of strategic industries are not limited to existing land and tax arrangements. The Hong Kong government is further enhancing policy tools to attract more globally influential new energy vehicle supply chain leaders to establish themselves in Hong Kong in line with the national "14th Five-Year Plan" and the industrial layout needs of Hong Kong. The government has proposed the formulation of incentive policies to promote industry and investment in the 2025 Policy Address and the 2026-2027 Budget, covering tools such as land allocation, land prices, subsidies, and tax incentives. In terms of land policy, the government is innovating the land allocation process and land use planning system in the Northern Metropolis (NorthMet) to provide more attractive conditions for settlement. In particular, the government may use a "double envelope system" tender in appropriate circumstances, where land prices are no longer the main consideration, but more emphasis is placed on the contribution of companies to the industrial chain, technological capabilities, and research and development investment. Today, the government also introduced the First Reading of the Northern Metropolis Development Bill, which includes policy measures to streamline the planning process for the NorthMet, facilitate the adoption of innovative building technologies, designs, and materials, and promote cross-border scientific research and talent mobility, with the aim of further enhancing the attractiveness of the NorthMet to national-level new energy vehicle enterprises. Professor Sun mentioned that the River Trade Hong Kong Park and New Fields Technology City will be the heart of future innovation and technology development in Hong Kong. The River Trade is one of the important technology innovation cooperation platforms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for the country. The government has reserved sufficient land for several strategic technology areas (including new energy technology and artificial intelligence associated with the next-generation automotive industry) to promote cross-border collaboration and technological breakthroughs.