Opinion: What APEC’s ‘Tech for Good’ agenda means for Hong Kong in China Daily
As Hong Kong is going to host the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting next week, Sam Han, Partner of Union Communications Hong Kong Limited, published an opinion article in China Daily on 16 October 2026, exploring what APEC’s emerging “Tech for Good” agenda could mean for Hong Kong and the wider Greater Bay Area.
Titled “What APEC’s ‘Tech for Good’ agenda means for Hong Kong” (https://www.chinadailyasia.com/hk/article/641254), the article argues that the next stage of technology development should not be defined only by what technologies can do, but also by the broader public value they can create for people, communities and sustainable development.
From Technology-Driven to Problem-Driven
A central observation highlighted in the article is that successful “Tech for Good” solutions are often problem-driven rather than simply technology-driven.
Drawing on findings from the APEC Tech for Good Report, the article notes that technology can play a wider role in addressing shared challenges across the Asia-Pacific, from healthcare access and ageing populations to digital inclusion, climate action, resilient communities and the participation of MSMEs in the digital economy.
Rather than beginning with the question of which technology is the most advanced, the “Tech for Good” approach encourages policymakers, businesses and innovators to ask:
What problem are we trying to solve, who should benefit, and how can technology create wider and more sustainable public value?
What This Means for Hong Kong
For Hong Kong, the article suggests that APEC can provide a practical platform for expanding cooperation with other economies in areas such as digital trade, cross-border data collaboration, smart logistics, green technology, digital health, ageing-related innovation, youth development and MSME transformation.
Hong Kong’s strengths in international finance, professional services, universities and research networks, legal and compliance expertise, social innovation, philanthropy and international communication can help connect technologies with capital, standards, markets and international partners.
Hong Kong and Shenzhen: Complementary Capabilities
The opinion article also highlights the potential for deeper collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen under the APEC “Tech for Good” agenda.
Shenzhen brings strong application scenarios, technology capabilities, advanced manufacturing, digital entrepreneurship and industrial ecosystems, while Hong Kong can contribute international finance, professional services, regulatory and compliance expertise, global research networks and international communication.
Bringing these complementary capabilities together could allow the Greater Bay Area to become a practical platform for exploring how technology can generate wider public value and how locally developed solutions can be translated into forms of cooperation that other APEC economies can participate in and benefit from.
Read the full opinion article:“What APEC’s ‘Tech for Good’ agenda means for Hong Kong”
By Sam Han, Partner of Union Communications Hong Kong Limited and Project Researcher of APEC Tech for Good.
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