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Hong Kong and Canada today (December 7) renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further enhance co-operation in information and communications technology (ICT).
The renewed MOU was signed by the Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mr Francis Ho, and the President of Communications Research Centre of the Department of Industry of Canada, Dr Veena Rawat.
The signing ceremony was held at the Hong Kong pavilion at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) TELECOM WORLD 2006. Mr Ho said at the ceremony that the renewal of the MOU signified the strong connections in the ICT sector between Canada and Hong Kong.
He pointed out that Hong Kong had been fostering ties in ICT co-operation with other countries in the form of MOU in recent years.
¡°Canada is our first ICT MOU partner since 1998, and this is the second time we have extended the term.
"Under the MOUs, we are aiming to create synergy and establish mutually beneficial relationship among relevant government agencies and industry organisations to enhance the ICT development in the respective economies.
"I am glad to note that many collaborative activities have been organised under the auspices of the MOU," Mr Ho said.
Many exchange and co-operative activities were conducted under the auspices of the Hong Kong/Canada ICT MOU. The major forms of co-operation include mutual visit, exchange forum, trade facilitation, business partnership and student exchange programme.
For example: the co-operation between the Communications Research Centre of Canada and the Wireless Technology Industry Association of Hong Kong in the fields of mobile and wireless technologies and application development, testing and technology transfer; and the co-operation between Alberta's Banff Centre and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Co Ltd in the digital media sector.
"I am confident that the synergy generated from such exchanges and cooperation will enable us to compete more successfully in today's global arena," Mr Ho said.
Hong Kong and Canada first signed the MOU on ICT in 1998, which was renewed in 2002 for five years. The MOU was renewed today for a further five years until 2012. Under the renewed MOU, the two places will seek co-operation in the following areas of common interest:
(a) software applications, products and policy, including:
- multimedia and digital entertainment;
- Internet;
- e-Government;
- Information Technology (IT) Security; and
- e-Health
(b) information and communications infrastructure and related policy, including:
- electronic commerce;
- current and future issues in telecommunications policy;
- broadband networks and applications; and
- wireless technologies and services
Ends/Thursday, December 7, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:01
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