News related to
research

A serious flaw in Hugging Face’s Transformers library has widened concern over the security of model-sharing ecosystems after researchers showed that a poisoned model configuration could trigger remote code execution during a routine load operation. Tracked as CVE-2026-4372, the vulnerability affects Transformers versions before 5.3.0 and centres on the handling of the attnimplementationinternal field inside a model’s config. json file. Security researchers found that an attacker could […]

Amazon has unveiled an upgraded version of its Proteus warehouse robot that can take plain-language instructions from workers, marking a major step in the company’s push to automate heavier tasks across its European fulfilment network. The next-generation Proteus was shown at Amazon’s Dartford fulfilment centre east of London as part of a wider investment programme of more than €10 billion, equal to about $11.6 billion, aimed at […]

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2026 – A large high-level business delegation led by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), today (June 5) wrapped up its five-day visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan respectively, achieving fruitful results of strengthening bilateral relations and deepening ties with Central Asia.

The delegation of over 70 business and institutional leaders from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland is the largest and most diverse overseas mission led by the current term of the HKSAR Government so far.

Hong Kong SAR's Chief Executive, John Lee (fifth right) and the Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Strategic Development, Sardor Umurzakov (fourth right) witness the exchange of memoranda of understanding and co-operation agreements between government departments, enterprises and organisations from Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.
Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive, John Lee (fifth right) and the Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Strategic Development, Sardor Umurzakov (fourth right) witness the exchange of memoranda of understanding and co-operation agreements between government departments, enterprises and organisations from Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.

Speaking to the media in Uzbekistan yesterday (June 4), Mr Lee set out the three main objectives of the visit: further explore emerging markets and lay the foundation for long-term economic and trade development; strengthen government-to-government (G2G) relationships and promote closer bilateral co-operation; and build a “hub-to-hub” model of co-operation.

He said the visit had been successful, yielding achievements in eight areas, including:

  • Establishing high-level contacts and ties between the HKSAR Government and the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and reaching consensus on co-operation in multiple areas;
  • A total of 96 co-operation agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were reached during the visit (61 with Kazakhstan, 35 with Uzbekistan), involving specific amounts exceeding US$1.65 billion in total;
  • The governments agreed to commence bilateral discussions on agreements in various areas;
  • Deepening project matching and research collaboration between Hong Kong and Central Asian region in areas including finance, innovation and technology (I&T), and aviation;
  • Demonstrating Hong Kong’s effective role as a platform for going global and achieving substantial results, with Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises joining forces in tapping new markets and bringing synergistic advantages into full play;
  • Facilitating more convenient people-to-people exchanges by promoting direct flights, aviation and transport co-operation, and extensions to the mutual visa-free period;
  • Promoting exchanges in education, talent and culture to further deepen people-to-people bonds; and
  • Advancing a hub-to-hub co-operation model to open up broader room for co-operation between Hong Kong and the Central Asian region.

image-1.jpeg

While in Tashkent (June 3-5), Mr Lee met with local leaders, government officials and business representatives to deepen co-operation between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan in areas including trade, investment, finance, I&T, and people-to-people exchanges.

Mr Lee held meetings with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, his Advisor on Strategic Development, Sardor Umurzakov, the Prime Minister, Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister, Jamshid Khodjayev, to exchange views on furthering mutual co-operation.

Mr Lee highlighted that under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. He said that Hong Kong would continue to play its roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder” to further deepen co-operation and exchanges with Uzbekistan on various fronts in line with Uzbekistan’s goal of achieving high-quality development.

Hong Kong SAR's Chief Executive, John Lee (left) meets with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev.
Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive, John Lee (left) meets with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev.

Earlier (June 3), Mr Lee met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, after which they jointly witnessed an exchange of notes between the two places on a mutual visa-free arrangement, which would allow a visa-free period of 30 days for visitors from both sides.

“Moreover, we are glad to have initialed the Air Services Agreement with Uzbekistan, and look forward to launching direct passenger flights between the two places soon,” Mr Lee said, during a high-level business dinner (June 4). The Chief Executive pointed out that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are important trade and investment gateways to their respective regions – the Asia-Pacific and Central Asia.

“It helps that we are all believers in the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, a modern expression of the ancient Silk Road spirit,” Mr Lee said. “Today, China is Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner, and the two countries work closely on major infrastructure and connectivity projects that are revitalising the Silk Road. Hong Kong is a pivotal player in the B&R Initiative, thanks to our world-class professional and financial services expertise.”

The delegation also toured the IT Park Uzbekistan and the Center for Islamic Civilization before concluding its visit in Tashkent.

Hashtag: #HongKong #BrandHongKong #CentralAsia #Kazakhstan #Uzbekistan





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Washington has moved to close a sensitive gap in its China technology controls after Trump administration officials concluded that overseas units of Chinese companies may have been able to buy Nvidia’s most advanced artificial intelligence chips without the export licences required for direct shipments to China. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued guidance on 31 May clarifying that licence requirements for advanced computing items […]

Microsoft Edge users have been urged to update their browsers after three security flaws tied to the Pwn2Own hacking contest were publicly detailed, including one vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code if a target opens a malicious page or file. The vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2026-45492, CVE-2026-45494 and CVE-2026-45495, affect Chromium-based Microsoft Edge and were credited to Orange Tsai of DEVCORE Research Team, one […]

Cybersecurity teams are warning that VECT 2.0, a ransomware strain promoted as a recovery-for-payment tool, can leave victims with files that even its operators may be unable to restore, widening concern over a campaign that behaves closer to a destructive wiper than conventional extortion malware. The latest technical findings show that VECT 2.0 suffers from multiple encryption and file-handling flaws, including a failure to preserve critical nonce […]

Microsoft’s unveiling of its Majorana 2 quantum chip has intensified debate over how quickly Bitcoin and other digital assets must prepare for a post-quantum security era. The chip, presented at the company’s Build conference in San Francisco, marks the next stage of Microsoft’s long-running push to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer based on topological qubits. Microsoft says the new processor delivers a sharp improvement over Majorana 1, […]

Advertisements

Scientists have identified a vast fan-shaped geological structure buried beneath East Antarctica, linking several major subglacial basins into one coherent system that may influence how the continent’s ice sheet moves and responds to warming. The structure, named the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province, lies under ice more than three kilometres thick in places. It brings together features long studied separately, including the Wilkes Basin, Aurora Basin and […]

A China-linked cyber-espionage group tracked as VerdantBamboo has been tied to a BRICKSTORM malware operation targeting Linux-based virtual appliances, firewalls and enterprise infrastructure, sharpening concerns over the security of systems that often sit outside mainstream endpoint monitoring. The activity came to light after suspicious traffic was detected from a Linux-based virtual machine appliance during an incident response investigation. The inquiry found that attackers had used stolen administrative […]

MIT and IBM researchers have opened a new front in multimodal artificial intelligence by releasing ChartNet, a large synthetic dataset designed to teach smaller vision-language models how to read, extract and reason from charts with greater accuracy than far larger commercial systems. The dataset, available through Hugging Face, contains 1.7 million richly annotated core chart samples and a broader collection running into millions of synthetic examples. Its […]

Over five years, nearly 9,000 teachers and students have participated in the Fair to drive youth engagement in innovation and technology

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 June 2026 – Organised by the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation (‘HKIF’), the Fifth Hong Kong Science Fair (‘Science Fair’) will take place from 27 to 28 June 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will showcase around 120 shortlisted teams from primary and secondary schools across Hong Kong, presenting creative inventions that integrate artificial intelligence with a diverse range of technology applications. With Sino Group as Principal Patron, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government (ITIB) as the Supporting Bureau, and the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) as Strategic Partner, HKIF is also honoured to have, for the first time, invited the Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology in China as an Advisory Organisation. Representatives from the Foundation will attend the award ceremony to witness the announcement of this year’s winning teams. Consistently a major draw for the community, the Science Fair is now open for online registration with free admission, and the public is warmly invited to attend in person.

Since its launch in 2021, the Science Fair has attracted participation from over 400 local schools, engaging nearly 9,000 students and teachers from Primary 4 to Secondary 6. To date, more than 2,200 creative invention submissions have been received, and the event has established itself as a key platform for youth I&T exchange.
Since its launch in 2021, the Science Fair has attracted participation from over 400 local schools, engaging nearly 9,000 students and teachers from Primary 4 to Secondary 6. To date, more than 2,200 creative invention submissions have been received, and the event has established itself as a key platform for youth I&T exchange.

Following Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Dr Lai Ka-ying, into space, the local innovation and technology ecosystem has attracted even greater attention. This year’s Science Fair has specially incorporated aerospace engineering elements, enabling the public to learn about the daily work and challenges of payload specialists, gain insight into the reality of aerospace research and development, and spark greater interest among young people in space exploration. Dr Lai launched aboard the Shenzhou-23 manned spacecraft and is expected to remain in space for approximately six months to conduct space science experiments and maintenance tasks. Visitors can express their support and encouragement by creating message cards for her. In addition, UBTECH Robotics, a globally leading enterprise in embodied AI robotics, will participate in the exhibition, showcasing multiple humanoid robots and offering visitors the opportunity to experience the appeal of embodied intelligence up close.

Professor Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, stated: ‘The Hong Kong SAR Government is fully committed to developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, with talent being a key driver of this growth. Now in its fifth edition, the Hong Kong Science Fair – organised by the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation – has become an annual flagship I&T education event. It offers students a valuable platform to turn their innovative ideas into practice, deepen their interest and confidence in I&T, and help bring I&T into schools and the wider community, thereby fostering a more innovation-friendly atmosphere. I look forward to seeing more young people unleash their potential through this platform, pursue careers in I&T, and contribute to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and our nation.’

Mr Daryl Ng, SBS, JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation and Chairman of Sino Group, said ‘Innovation and technology are key to Hong Kong’s long-term sustainable development and are integral to the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan. It is vital for Hong Kong to strengthen its I&T capabilities and actively contribute to national development, as underscored by the historic moment when Dr Lai Ka-ying became Hong Kong’s first astronaut. We are encouraged to see growing recognition of I&T opening up new opportunities for young people aspiring to pursue scientific research. As the Hong Kong Science Fair enters its fifth edition, its growth has been made possible by the support of the HKSAR Government, industry partners, tertiary institutions, research organisations, and our panels of judges. This year, we are grateful for the guidance and support of the Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology in China. Moving forward, the Science Fair will remain committed to nurturing talent from an early age, bringing together all sectors to promote I&T and inspire more young people to pursue careers in science and technology.’

Professor Anderson Shum, MH, Chairman of Judging Panel, Hong Kong Science Fair, President of The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, said, ‘The Science Fair adopts the format of “integrating competition with exhibition,” enabling students to translate their learning into tangible and verifiable outcomes. This plays an important role in nurturing Hong Kong’s youth I&T ecosystem. I am delighted to have served as a judge for this major event over the years, witnessing students progressively enhance their presentation skills, build confidence, and broaden their horizons through exchanges with experts, participation in workshops and showcasing their work to the public. The standard of participating projects continues to improve each year, with increasing integration of artificial intelligence and diverse technological applications across different fields. Scientific research is a journey that demands passion and perseverance, and the growth of young scientists often begins with curiosity during their primary and secondary school years. Through these exchanges, we hope to leverage the role-model influence of young scientists, inspiring more students to pursue I&T as their lifelong career. I look forward to seeing our younger generation continue to grow and excel in scientific research and innovation, and officially join the community of scientists in the near future to jointly drive Hong Kong’s I&T development.’

Mr Michael Tam, Chief Brand Officer of UBTECH, said, ‘Humanoid robots are among the most promising real-world embodiments of artificial intelligence, reflecting a future in which intelligent systems are deeply integrated with the physical world. As a global pioneer in humanoid robotics, UBTECH has remained at the forefront of innovation for more than 14 years, with a long-standing commitment to I&T education. The company is dedicated to translating advanced technologies into practical, accessible educational resources. Through collaboration with like-minded partners such as the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation, we aim to inspire greater interest and engagement among both teachers and students in humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence. We are committed to supporting the development of Hong Kong’s I&T education ecosystem, helping to nurture future-ready talent and build a strong, sustainable foundation for long-term growth.’

Since its launch in 2021, the Science Fair has attracted participation from over 400 local schools, engaging nearly 9,000 Primary 4 to Secondary 6 students and their teachers. To date, more than 2,200 creative invention submissions have been received and total attendance has exceeded 120,000 visitors. The Science Fair has gradually established itself as a key platform for youth innovation and technology (‘I&T’) exchange and one of Hong Kong’s most representative I&T education initiatives. This year’s response has been enthusiastic, with over 500 project submissions received. Following preliminary judging, around 120 shortlisted teams took part in a series of workshops and mentorship sessions, and will present their projects at the exhibition in late June to compete for top awards. Gold award-winning teams from each category will have the opportunity to participate in the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland, fostering idea exchange with global I&T talents.

The Hong Kong Science Fair draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. During the exhibition period, the venue will be transformed into a catalyst for city-wide I&T inspiration. In addition to student showcases, five interactive zones will offer hands-on experiences, including DIY bubble bath bomb workshops, freezer-free slushie making, themed games celebrating the Science Fair’s fifth anniversary, and modified remote-controlled cars made from upcycled household appliances, allowing visitors of all ages to explore science and innovation through engaging and enjoyable activities.

  • Bulu Bulu Bubble Factory: Blending science with sensory experiences, visitors can mix and mould from scratch to create a delightful ‘bathroom blind box’.
  • Shake Shake Ice Factory: Applying the principle of freezing point depression, participants will see how temperature can be rapidly lowered using only salt, ice and water to create personalised slushies — all without a freezer.
  • Scan2Play: Scan the QR Code on your phone to join the themed game celebrating the Hong Kong Science Fair’s Fifth Anniversary.
  • Racing Homey Kart 2.0: Showcasing the spirit of upcycling and upgrades, visitors can transform old, small household appliances into remote-controlled racing cars and compete on a dedicated track.
  • UBTECH Robotics Base: Featuring a wide range of robots, this zone provides a comprehensive showcase of the integration of artificial intelligence with mechanical engineering.

To celebrate the Science Fair’s fifth edition, various special experiences will be introduced. The venue will feature a hidden Science Fair character treasure hunt and check-in activity, through which visitors can redeem curated gifts upon completion. Limited-edition souvenirs, including the ‘HKSF-5 Metal Standee Collection’ and the ‘Special Edition Robo K’ blind boxes, will also be available in limited quantities. All proceeds from the HKSF Bazaar, with no deduction, will go directly to charity to support local community technology initiatives.

The Fifth Hong Kong Science Fair Details:

  • Date: 27 to 28 June 2026 (Saturday and Sunday)
  • Time: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
  • Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 3FG
  • Admission: Free of Charge (Pre-registration online is required)
  • Registration Website: https://reghksciencefair.org.hk/public

Photos download: https://shorturl.at/mgawb

Hashtag: #HKIF #ScienceFair

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Developers using npm packages were put on alert after a fast-moving supply chain attack compromised at least 57 packages and pushed more than 286 malicious versions to the registry in less than two hours on June 3, exposing a fresh weakness in the way JavaScript projects handle native build files. The campaign began at about 23:30 UTC with the compromise of @vapi-ai/server-sdk, the official server-side software development […]

Hackers are using large-scale online advertising campaigns to deliver FlutterShell, a newly identified macOS backdoor that marks a sharper turn in financially motivated malware operations targeting Apple users. The campaign, tracked as Operation FlutterBridge, is linked to a broader cybercrime cluster known as CL-CRI-1089, which has operated since at least 2023. The group has used paid advertisements, verified advertiser accounts and shell companies to place malicious promotions […]

Cardano’s ADA token fell below 20 US cents as founder Charles Hoskinson said he was “taking a break” after warning that the blockchain ecosystem faces a wave of project failures, deepening concern over funding, governance and developer momentum. ADA traded around $0.19 on Thursday after dropping more than 12 per cent over 24 hours, taking its one-year decline to about 70 per cent and pushing the token […]

Collaboration will support efforts to identify and remediate software vulnerabilities using advanced AI capabilities

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 June 2026 – TrendAI™, the enterprise AI security leader from Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), today announced its participation in Project Glasswing, an initiative focused on helping organizations identify and address vulnerabilities in critical software systems.

As part of the program, TrendAI™ will use Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview to support the review and analysis of software code, helping threat intelligence researchers turn accelerated vulnerability discovery into coordinated disclosure, prioritized remediation, and measurable risk reduction through vulnerability shielding and virtual patching.

AI is dramatically accelerating vulnerability discovery. TrendAI™ views this as a positive signal for the industry – it is part of the broader, collaborative ecosystem TrendAI™ has been actively contributing to for decades alongside organizations like Anthropic.

Rachel Jin, Chief Platform and Business Officer, Head of TrendAI™: “We’re aligned with Anthropic’s goals of using AI to make all software more secure. Organizations increasingly depend on software that operates at tremendous scale and supports critical business functions. Project Glasswing represents an important opportunity to explore how advanced AI can help software providers identify vulnerabilities earlier and improve the security and resilience of the systems customers depend on every day.”

TrendAI™ joins a growing community of organizations participating in Project Glasswing to better understand how frontier and advanced AI models can support defensive security efforts and improve the security of critical software infrastructure.

Insights gained through the program will contribute to informing the broader industry efforts to strengthen the security of the digital ecosystem.

Hashtag: #trendai #trendmicro #trendvisionone #visionone #trendaivisionone




The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Anthropic

Anthropic is an AI safety and research company dedicated to building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Its Claude family of models enables advanced capabilities across a wide range of applications, including code understanding and security analysis.

About TrendAI™

TrendAI™, the global AI security leader and enterprise business unit of Trend Micro, empowers organizations with full AI visibility and consolidated security that inspires confidence, drives innovation, and eliminates risk. Trusted by the largest enterprises and governments across 185 countries, TrendAI™ secures the entire organization, from identities to infrastructure to data. Global Fortune 500 companies rely on TrendAI™ to cut risk and stop threats up to three months earlier, powered by world-leading threat and attack intelligence. Through deep ecosystem partnerships with market leaders like NVIDIA, Anthropic, AWS, Google, and Microsoft, TrendAI™ empowers your organization to securely drive forward at the speed of AI. AI Fearlessly. Learn more at trendaisecurity.com.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 June 2026 – AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI), today announced the launch of the Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index 2026, a new thought leadership report examining how the infrastructure industry across the region is prioritizing innovation in response to stakeholders’ needs, increasing system complexity, operational pressures and evolving delivery challenges.

AECOM and Urban Land Institute launch inaugural Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index, highlighting region's evolving infrastructure innovation priorities.
AECOM and Urban Land Institute launch inaugural Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index, highlighting region’s evolving infrastructure innovation priorities.

Developed in collaboration between AECOM and ULI, the report brings together perspectives from stakeholders across infrastructure, government, utilities, investment, planning and development sectors. It draws on a survey of more than 100 senior infrastructure professionals in Asia Pacific, alongside in-depth interviews with industry leaders. As the first edition of the Index, it establishes a baseline for understanding how infrastructure innovation is currently being prioritized and delivered across the region.

“This report highlights how organizations are moving beyond ideas and applying innovation in practical ways to improve delivery, resilience and system performance,” said Ian Chung, chief executive of AECOM’s Asia region. “Infrastructure leaders across Asia Pacific are responding to growing complexity by strengthening digital capabilities, improving coordination across interconnected systems and focusing on long-term operational performance.”

“Our collaboration with AECOM reflects a growing recognition that infrastructure and real estate are increasingly interdependent,” said Alan Beebe, CEO Asia Pacific, ULI. “As cities in Asia Pacific evolve, infrastructure is no longer just a technical consideration, but plays a critical role in shaping how places function, grow and perform. Understanding how innovation is being applied in this context is essential for those involved in the built environment.”

Among the top ten takeaways highlighted in the report, three key themes emerged consistently across both the survey findings and interview insights: the role of AI in infrastructure systems, the integration and growing demands on energy systems, and the need to design and operate infrastructure for climate resilience. Together, these themes highlight a broader shift toward enhancing how infrastructure systems are developed and perform under increasingly complex, real-world conditions.

Read the report here: Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index | AECOM Insights

Hashtag: #AECOM #AsiaPacificInfrastructureInnovationIndex

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About AECOM

AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle — from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. Learn more at aecom.com.

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 48,000 members worldwide and over 3,000 members in the Asia Pacific region representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI Asia Pacific, please visit , or follow us on , , , , and .

Bull and Hon Hai Technology Group, better known as Foxconn, will manufacture artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure in Europe under a strategic partnership designed to strengthen the region’s computing supply chain and reduce dependence on external technology providers. The project will use Foxconn’s manufacturing base in Pardubice in the Czech Republic and Bull’s factory in Angers, France, to produce AI systems and related components for European AI […]

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 June 2026 – A large delegation, led by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), is visiting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (June 1-6) to forge closer ties with Central Asia.

Comprising over 70 business and professional representatives from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, the delegation has already yielded significant results at its first stop in Kazakhstan.

Speaking at a business luncheon in Astana yesterday (June 2), Mr Lee highlighted that 43 memoranda of understanding (MOU) and agreements have been concluded by the visiting delegation with companies and organisations from Kazakhstan, with more agreements to come.

“They span aviation, finance and trade, innovation and technology, the digital economy, green development, and more,” Mr Lee said, adding that a Hong Kong airline plans to launch direct flights to Almaty in the first quarter of 2027.

“I believe that Kazakhstan can serve as a hub for Hong Kong to connect with the Central Asian market. In turn, Hong Kong can be Central Asia’s hub in the east and southeast Asian region,” Mr Lee said.

“By strengthening co-operation between our two hubs, we can construct a hub-to-hub co-operation model.”

On his first day of visit in Astana (June 1), Mr Lee met with top government officials including the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.

Hong Kong SAR's Chief Executive John Lee (left) meets with the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to exchange views on deepening bilateral relations.
Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive John Lee (left) meets with the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to exchange views on deepening bilateral relations.

Mr Lee noted that Kazakhstan has been actively promoting reforms on various fronts to bring about rapid economic growth.

“As one of the world’s three major financial centres, and the world’s largest cross-boundary wealth management centre and offshore Renminbi business hub, Hong Kong can provide diversified and flexible support including capital and asset allocation for Kazakhstan’s economic reforms and infrastructure development,” Mr Lee said.

The Chief Executive also encouraged companies in Kazakhstan to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Under this unique principle, Hong Kong has its own economic, social, legal, legislative and judicial systems. We are the only common law jurisdiction in China. We have our own currency, with no capital or foreign exchange controls. We are, as well, a separate customs territory,” Mr Lee said.

“The ‘one country, two systems’ principle ensures Hong Kong’s unparalleled access to the markets of the Chinese Mainland. Capitalising on our global connectivity and world-class professional services, Hong Kong is your ideal, two-way springboard for business expansion.”

Mr Lee also visited the Astana International Financial Centre and the Astana Hub, a local technology and innovation park, to respectively learn about Kazakhstan’s experience in promoting the development of the non-bank financial sector and the latest developments of the country in the field of AI.

Hong Kong SAR's Chief Executive John Lee (centre) witnesses the exchange of memoranda of understanding and co-operation agreements between organisations from both sides with the Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre Renat Bekturov (second right).
Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive John Lee (centre) witnesses the exchange of memoranda of understanding and co-operation agreements between organisations from both sides with the Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre Renat Bekturov (second right).

Before leaving Kazakhstan today (June 3), Mr Lee visited Nazarbayev University, underscoring the historic significance of the trip.

image-1.jpeg

“It was here, at Astana’s Nazarbayev University in 2013, that President Xi Jinping first raised the visionary initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt – today’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” Mr Lee said.

Last year, at the 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, the university signed a MOU with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing higher education co-operation under the BRI. It further reached MOUs with Hong Kong’s Education University and Polytechnic University today.

“These agreements will deepen academic and research collaboration.

“Hong Kong is the only city in the world with five of the top 100 universities. This talent environment is reinforced by our global standing: last year, Hong Kong ranked first in Asia, and fourth globally, in the World Talent Ranking,” he added.

Mr Lee will continue to lead the delegation to Uzbekistan for the second leg of the mission to Central Asia.

Hashtag: #hongkong #brandhongkong #asiasworldcity #opportunitieswithCentralAsia





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Anthropic has expanded access to Claude Mythos Preview to about 200 organisations, widening a controlled cybersecurity programme designed to help governments, companies and critical software maintainers find severe vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. The San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company is adding around 150 organisations to Project Glasswing, its gated initiative for defensive use of a frontier model that has drawn intense attention from technology companies, banks, […]

Abu Dhabi opened the third International Dialogue of Civilisations and Tolerance Conference 2026 on Wednesday, bringing policymakers, academics, faith leaders, media figures and technology specialists together for a three-day examination of how new media and artificial intelligence are reshaping families and communities. The event, held from 3 to 5 June at Space42 Arena in Al Raha Beach, is being convened under the theme “The Impact of New […]

Cyber espionage operators are using a newly documented Windows backdoor called HazyBeacon to target government networks in Southeast Asia, turning legitimate Amazon Web Services infrastructure into a covert command-and-control channel that can blend into ordinary cloud traffic. The activity, tracked as CL-STA-1020, has been linked to intelligence-gathering operations focused on sensitive state information, including material tied to tariffs, trade disputes and government policy discussions. Security researchers have […]

Security researchers have warned that a Windows Search URI handler weakness can leak NTLMv2 hashes to remote attackers through a crafted link, reviving concerns over long-running authentication risks in enterprise networks. The issue affects the search: handler used by Windows Explorer to process desktop search requests. A malicious link can direct the handler towards an attacker-controlled network path, causing the victim’s system to attempt authentication over SMB […]

Abu Dhabi Gaming has signed a strategic partnership with ASPIRE to accelerate AI-led game development, linking the emirate’s interactive entertainment ambitions with advanced research capabilities from one of its key technology institutions. The agreement was formalised during the A2RL Summit at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, where global technology, mobility, autonomy and gaming specialists gathered to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries built around real-time decision-making and […]

Gnosis Pay has moved into emergency containment after attackers exploited a vulnerability in the Delay Module used in its smart-contract wallet architecture, forcing an urgent withdrawal warning, a temporary reversal of guidance and a pledge to reimburse affected users in full. The breach, disclosed on 1 June, hit the payment product that connects self-custodial crypto wallets with card spending. The affected component is linked to the Zodiac […]

VISHNU RAJA
RYO YAMADA
HITORI GOTOH
IKUYO KITA