Kenneth Lam/CPPCC member, Maritime expert

Q1:

As the "14th Five-Year Plan" concludes in 2025, what strategic priorities should the shipping industry adopt to sustain growth and strengthen global partnerships?  

I think our state leaders are very well aware of what needs to be done, how to make Hong Kong, a common law jurisdiction and free port with free flow of the currencies. So there will be more practical measures. In recent years, we have worked very hard to make sure Hong Kong one of the four arbitration centers in the world whereby arbitrations on decisions would be recognized worldwide. In China and Hong Kong, we need more common law base litigators and arbitrators.  

Hong Kong is really a good place to create more well qualified lawyers. As the demand is huge, we can see that at a professional level, people can be trained here. There should be more cooperation between the universities in Hong Kong and in China, so that more people can be exposed to maritime, common law of training. There will be more progresses in terms of developing Hong Kong, as an insurance hub…We have a lot of agents, but in terms of the underwriting capability and the reinsurance capability, it all goes to London. I think right now with the shipping market growing bigger and bigger, Hong Kong really has the experience and broader alternatives, and to bring more underwriting power, perhaps, starting with state-owned companies.

Q2:

With AI technologies advancing rapidly and innovation driving new quality productivity, how can the shipping sector integrate AI to achieve high-quality development?

The shipping industry has been using AI and computer science for a long time. This really helps the logistic side of business. And when you talk about ports, now it is about automation. There are a lot of figures not available in terms of the emission by vessels, and how we use these figures together to make sure that the industry will abide by trajectory set by international the organizational authorities. Those are the topics that we can use AI technology to help.

Thank you for your sharing. See you next time. Thank you, bye bye.