The 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit opened on April 13 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together global policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to explore how digital and intelligent technologies can drive innovation and development.

John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Zhuang Rongwen, chair of the WIC and minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. 

Zhou Ji, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and Wang Jingtao, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, were also present. The ceremony was presided over by Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC.

Lee emphasized Hong Kong’s honor in hosting the summit for a second consecutive year, noting that rapid changes in the global digital landscape calls for closer cooperation and coordinated strategies. He said the event highlights Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” framework, reinforcing its role as an international innovation and technology hub, while strengthening its integration into overall national development.

The HKSAR government is accelerating innovation and technological development with artificial intelligence as a key pillar, Lee said, adding that Hong Kong ranks among the world’s leading economies in AI readiness and is committed to advancing AI development in a responsible and inclusive manner. 

He emphasized that cooperation and innovation are essential to unlocking the full value of technology and expressed appreciation for the WIC’s support in hosting the summit.

Zhuang noted in his remarks that as a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is gathering pace, the summit aims to build consensus and pool resources to jointly build a bright future for the Asia-Pacific region with new achievements in digital and intelligent development as well as fresh outcomes of cooperation.

Zhuang stressed the importance of stimulating vitality through innovation to foster new drivers of growth, while deepening digital cooperation and building an open, collaborative ecosystem. He also underscored the need to promote inclusive development to expand access to digital benefits, and to enhance cybersecurity, data protection and AI governance.

Senior officials and industry leaders from around the world also addressed the opening ceremony, including Samuel Miga?, minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic; Nahima Díaz, minister of Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services; John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd.; John Higgins CBE, chair of International AI Governance Association; Victor Huang, co-founder and chairman of Manycore Tech; and Wang Yangbin, chairman of Vobile Group. Wu Dong, chief engineer of the Cyberspace Administration of China, also attended the ceremony.

During the summit, a main forum and a gala honoring distinguished contributors will held, alongside six thematic forums on topics such as AI agent innovation and application, digital finance, AI security and governance, AI for a better life, digital and intelligent health, and the digitalization and dissemination of classical texts.

The summit, themed “Digital and Intelligent Empowerment for Innovative Development — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace,” was organized by the WIC, hosted by the HKSAR government, and co-organized by the Hong Kong Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, among other partners.

Around 1,000 participants, including ministerial-level officials from more than 50 countries and regions, representatives of international organizations, diplomatic envoys in China, industry leaders, as well as scholars and experts, attended the event.