Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation in Informatisation

To strengthen the co-operation in information industry and informatisation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the Eighth Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held on 28 September 2005 agreed to include informatisation as a key aspect of co-operation and establish an expert group to look after the matter.

The Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation (EGCI) was established in 2006. Eighteen Plenary meetings had been held on 17 May 2006 in Guangzhou, 22 June 2007 in Hong Kong, 4 July 2008 in Guangzhou, 10 July 2009 in Hong Kong, 9 July 2010 in Guangzhou, 20 July 2011 in Hong Kong, 10 August 2012 in Guangzhou, 26 July 2013 in Hong Kong, 11 July 2014 in Guangzhou, 30 July 2015 in Hong Kong, 5 August 2016 in Guangzhou, 5 July 2017 in Hong Kong, 27 June 2018 in Guangzhou, 12 July 2019 in Hong Kong, 7 August 2020 (through video conference), 14 September 2021 (through video conference) , 17 November 2022 (through video conference) and 26 September 2023 in Hong Kong respectively.

To strengthen Hong Kong/Guangdong co-operation in informatisation, Digital Policy Office (the then OGCIO) and the Department of Information Industry of Guangdong Province (now the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province) had signed the "Arrangement on Strengthening Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation in Informatisation" after the Tenth Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held on 2 August 2007 under the witness of the government leaders in both places.

To further strengthen the co-operation in informatisation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau as well as the Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong Province (now the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province) had signed "The Agreement on Information Framework Co-operation" after the Sixteenth Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held on 16 September 2013 under the witness of the government leaders in both places.

In 2023-24, Hong Kong and Guangdong continue pushing the works revolving around the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” by using new information technologies of big data, artificial intelligence, 5G and industrial internet to proactively strengthen the co-operation in five areas, including the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong smart city clusters; Hong Kong/Guangdong cross-boundary e-Commerce; information exchange for customs clearance; coordination of innovative technology development; as well as the development of Hong Kong/Guangdong telecommunication industry.