Hong Kong plays a major role in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry in terms of connecting mainland China and the rest of the world amid geopolitical headwinds, according to a senior executive at the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC).
“At the moment, we are artificially creating a barrier between the US and mainland China, and that will stifle the development of technology,” Lawrence Cheung Chi-chong, HKPC’s chief technology officer, said in an interview on the sidelines of an AI conference organised by the council on Tuesday.
“A lot of times for us, we don’t know whether we should reach out to our Western counterparts to work with them,” Cheung told the South China Morning Post. “Because even if they have interest to work with us … they may not have the freedom to [do so]. And that is sad in a way.”
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“So from a scientist’s point of view, it has been difficult over the past few years, particularly in the AI area,” he said.
Cheung’s comments reflect how Hong Kong, in recent years, has been caught in the crossfire of trade tensions and escalating tech rivalry between the US and China.
Washington in August last year announced plans to restrict US firms from investing in Chinese companies, including those in Hong Kong and Macau, in three areas: semiconductors, quantum computing technologies and certain AI systems.
Lawrence Cheung Chi-chong, chief technology officer at the Hong Kong Productivity Council. Photo: Xinmei Shen alt=Lawrence Cheung Chi-chong, chief technology officer at the Hong Kong Productivity Council. Photo: Xinmei Shen>
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu last month said that Washington’s plan to clamp down on outbound investments in China would also harm US businesses and residents, citing the US$271.5 billion the country had earned through trade with the city over the past decade.
Lee warned that the US will ultimately “reap what it sows”.
Nvidia, the world’s leading supplier of AI processors, has already been barred by Washington from selling its most advanced chips to China, which has left many domestic tech firms scrambling to find alternative products.
From July 9, ChatGPT creator OpenAI had developers on the mainland and in Hong Kong blocked from accessing its services.
