STL attends APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting (with photos)
17.5.2023

The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, attended the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting, under the theme of "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All", in Detroit, the United States (US), today (May 16, US time). Speaking at a session on supply chain, Mr Lam highlighted how the Hong Kong SAR Government and local airlines had swiftly taken a number of measures to meet the challenges and market demand in the midst of the pandemic, such as streamlining the application procedures for running charter all-cargo flights in order to facilitate more cargo flights to fly in and out of Hong Kong. Local airlines were also among the first in the world to redeploy passenger aircraft to carry cargo only to provide additional cargo capacity in a flexible manner. "The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has world class cold chain facilities, and all of its cargo terminal operators have attained International Air Transport Association's (IATA) certifications for handling high-value temperature-controlled air cargo. The HKIA has also been recognised by IATA as a Partner Airport of its Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma standards), enabling the HKIA to become one of the preferred airports for handling shipments of critical medical supplies, including vaccines, pharmaceuticals and personal protective equipment, during the pandemic to support the global efforts to fight against the pandemic," he said. Apart from efforts made on air transport, Mr Lam noted that a "Sea Express" water transportation service from the Mainland China to Hong Kong helped safeguard smooth cross-boundary shipping operations between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, enabling Hong Kong to maintain stable supply of daily necessities even at the peak of the pandemic, while continuing to play a key role in upholding the global supply chains between manufacturers in the Mainland China and markets worldwide. He also shared the latest developments of e-ecommerce logistics services and multimodal cargo transshipment mode in Hong Kong. "With a view to providing a new logistic channel and facilitating more efficient shipment of cargo between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the world through the HKIA, we have pioneered a sea-air intermodal cargo transhipment mode between the HKIA and Dongguan, so that export cargo can be shipped from Dongguan by sea to the airside of the HKIA for direct transshipment to overseas destinations. International cargo can also be imported into the GBA through the reverse process," Mr Lam added. Yesterday (May 15, US time), Mr Lam met with the Vice Minister of Transport, Mr Wang Gang, who also attended the meeting. Mr Lam briefed him on the recovery and development of Hong Kong's aviation industry, and also shed light on the operation of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Express Rail Link (XRL) after its resumption of service. Mr Lam said that he would continue to work with the Mainland authorities and railway operators to enhance the services of the XRL trains and the stations, so that passengers can have an even more comfortable and convenient experience on the XRL. This will also promote deeper and wider exchanges and cooperation at various aspects between people on the Mainland and in Hong Kong. During his stay in the United States, Mr Lam also met with a number of representatives from other APEC member economies, including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, to exchange views on strengthening cooperation in the field of transportation. He will attend the final day of the meeting tomorrow (May 17, US time).