HKT Returns to CIFTIS 2026: Connecting China with the World

Beijing, September 2026 — HKT took part in the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), held at Shougang Park in Beijing from 9 September, marking the company's second consecutive year on this national-level opening-up platform. Themed "Global Services, Shared Benefits" with a focus on digital services trade powering the high-quality development of the intelligent economy, this year's fair brought together more than 1,800 exhibitors, including 473 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders, alongside participants from 90 countries, regions and international organisations.

 

As one of the first Hong Kong-funded enterprises admitted to the mainland's pilot programme to expand the opening-up of Value-Added Telecommunications (VAT) services, HKT anchored its presence around the positioning of an "International Connector". The showcase centred on three areas: AI product operations, Hong Kong local and global network resource services, and mainland VAT services.

 

HKT's wholly owned subsidiary received approval in February 2025 to join the pilot, becoming the first Hong Kong-funded telecommunications operator to obtain Internet Service Provision (ISP) and Internet Content Provision (ICP) qualifications — a milestone in the Group's mainland journey, which began in 1992.

 

Over the past year, HKT's China business has moved from brand showcasing and initial engagement to solution delivery and the scaled replication of benchmark projects. Backbone nodes now cover all key first- and second-tier cities nationwide, with deepened investment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — particularly the Qianhai and Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaboration hubs — forming a layout that combines nationwide coverage, hub focus and global connectivity.

 

On the technology front, HKT's commercially deployed 800Gbps AI Superhighway wide-area network service has delivered high-speed data centre interconnection for Hong Kong AI service providers and research institutions. The company also plans to introduce a 3.2Tbps ultra-high-speed data centre interconnect Superhighway running on hollow-core fibre — a first in Hong Kong — to enable seamless AI computing interconnection while reducing processing time and cost.

 

Mak Chi Fai, General Manager for China Region, Commercial Group of HKT, said the company serves as both a "digital ferryman" for overseas enterprises entering the mainland and a "navigator" for mainland enterprises going global, bringing HKT's mature international telecommunications and AI service experience into the mainland to empower customers in new-energy vehicles, cross-border e-commerce and advanced manufacturing to operate intelligently and efficiently worldwide.

 

HKT will continue to upgrade its computing interconnection backbone and embed AI across its two-way, full-lifecycle cross-border services, leveraging Hong Kong's unique hub position to support enterprises on both sides of the flow.