Innovation chief heads to Beijing to promote World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (SITI), Professor Sun Dong, departed for Beijing on 16 March to unveil details of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit, which Hong Kong will host later this year. At a joint press conference with WIC Secretary-General Ren Xianliang on 17 March, Sun will position the summit as a catalyst for cross-border talent flows and technology partnerships. The visit underscores the territory’s ambition to re-establish itself as a premier convention destination following the full restoration of quarantine-free travel with Mainland China. Organisers expect the summit to attract more than 5,000 delegates, including C-suite executives, cybersecurity researchers and digital-trade negotiators, generating an estimated HK $600 million in direct spending on flights, hotels and event services. Professor Sun will also call on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to discuss data-cross-border pilot schemes and potential facilitation measures for visiting tech entrepreneurs. Business-mobility stakeholders anticipate dedicated immigration counters and on-arrival visa assistance similar to arrangements implemented for last year’s Belt and Road Forum. From a corporate-relocation perspective, the WIC summit is significant: it offers another high-profile platform for Hong Kong to showcase its revamped Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) and recently lengthened visa-renewal windows. Companies sending speakers or exhibitors should begin the entry-permit process early; block bookings at hotels near the Convention Centre are already running at 60 per cent occupancy for the summit week.



For organisations navigating these visa requirements, VisaHQ offers a streamlined online platform to secure Hong Kong entry permits and other travel documents well ahead of the summit. The service provides real-time status tracking, document-check assistance and concierge options for group applications—ideal for firms dispatching multiple delegates. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/

Sun will return to Hong Kong on 19 March, leaving Under Secretary Lillian Cheong as acting SITI. The trip highlights how senior-level advocacy and streamlined mobility policies are converging to attract next-generation digital talent to the city.