MOU on co-operation in information and communications technology signed

March 12, 2002

Hong Kong and Germany today (March 12) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on co-operation in information and communications technology.

The MOU was signed in Berlin by Dr Werner Muller, Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, representing the Federal Republic of Germany, and Mrs Carrie Yau, Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, representing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The MOU encompasses an extensive range of co-operative activities, ranging from the sharing of policy and regulatory information and commercial and academic exchanges to business, investment and technology partnerships.

Mrs Yau welcomed the MOU as a significant strengthening of the Hong Kong-German relationship. She said, "Advances in information and communications technology are breaking down geographical and time barriers and bringing people from different parts of the world closer together.

"Hong Kong has strong ties with Germany which is our seventh largest trading partner in the world and the largest in Europe. There are some 500 German companies in Hong Kong, and more than 150 of them have established regional headquarters or regional offices there.

"Through our concerted efforts, I am confident that the MOU will benefit the information and communications technology industries of both sides."

And now that Mainland China is a member of the World Trade Organisation, Mrs Yau said Hong Kong IT and telecommunications companies, with their knowledge of the Mainland market, could be valuable partners for their German counterparts to explore the huge Mainland market.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has since May 1998 entered into similar arrangements on IT co-operation with seven other countries. They include Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Finland, India, Israel and Korea.

Under these MOUs, Hong Kong and its partners have organised a number of activities which prove to be mutually beneficial and enriching. The recent ones being the Virtual Trade Mission between Hong Kong and Canadian wireless associations, the visit of Finnish high-level technology delegation, and a Canadian IT delegation to the Hong Kong Information Infrastructure Expo & Conference 2002 which were held in Hong Kong last week.

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