Hong Kong can advance AI beyond the confines of geopolitical rivalry

SCMP Tech / 4/21/2026

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Key Points

  • The opinion argues that Hong Kong can help move AI development forward by focusing on collaboration and practical innovation rather than being constrained by geopolitical rivalry.
  • It highlights the opportunity for Hong Kong to position itself as an enabling hub where researchers, companies, and institutions can work across boundaries to advance AI capabilities.
  • The piece suggests that policy and ecosystem-building in areas such as talent, regulation, and research infrastructure are key to expanding AI beyond political constraints.
  • It frames AI progress as depending not only on technology but also on governance choices and cross-border connectivity that reduce fragmentation.
  • Overall, the article calls for a strategic approach that leverages Hong Kong’s unique status to sustain momentum in AI development.
There is a tendency to portray the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape as consisting of two bitter rivals – China and the United States. The remaining 80 per cent of the world’s population, by virtue of their supposed dearth of scale, research and other critical overheads, are purportedly followers with no agency. The reality is more complex. The emerging global AI order is neither unipolar nor strictly bipolar. Instead, it is characterised by a swathe of middle powers hedging their...

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