The US government has upped its offensive against China with the announcement that it is set to slap tariffs worth up to $60bn on Chinese imports. US president Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum which confirmed the measures that will place tariffs on products predominantly in the technology sector.
Chinese telecommunications colossus Huawei has announced that it has signed a MoU with German city Duisburg in a collaborative effort to develop and subsequently implement a smart city strategy within the city.
Representatives from technology titans Facebook and Google have offered testimony before a parliamentary committee in Singapore in an effort to convince them that the introduction of new laws to combat ‘fake news’ would not have the desired effect.
Hong Kong has released its smart city blueprint following months of consultations and recommendations as part of its efforts to become a world-class smart city. It has been announced that a dedicated Smart City Office will be established in the Innovation and Technology Bureau which will oversee, manage and coordinate the progress and effectiveness of smart city projects initiated by the department in Hong Kong.
Chinese investors are calling on regulators to relax rules on initial public offerings (IPOs) by technology firms. The stifling draconian measures currently in place have been blasted by some investors who say the time has come for them to change their policy and approach.
WeGO is an organization that is focused on sustainable urban development through e-government, ICT and smart cities. Can you highlight some of the major projects WeGO has been involved in over the last 12 months?
This year, WeGO held our 4th General Assembly in Russia. The General Assembly is held every three years and is the top decision-making body of WeGO. It brings together mayors, chief information officers and high-level public officials from all WeGO member cities as well as thought leaders and partners from all over the world and serves as an important international platform for cities to become smart sustainable cities, to share knowledge and to forge new partnerships. The 4th WeGO General Assembly was a great success, gathering over 400 urban leaders from 112 cities and local governments.
Hong-Kong professor Dr. Winnie Tang has launched her highly-acclaimed Smart City 3.0 e-book which attempts to examine and establish the role played by Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Robotics and the sharing economy in the development and future evolution of smart cities on a global basis.
An Australian business delegation has announced its interest in investing and exploring potential opportunities that may arise from India’s nationwide ‘smart cities’ program. The business consortium is made up of 35 members - and they flew in India this week to meet with those tasked with the responsibility of leading the smart cities initiative.
The Taiwan 5G Alliance – linking together more than 40 corporations and organizations from the government, academia, and research sectors – aims to launch pre-commercial 5G networks in 2020 with the vision of building a world-class 5G industry chain in Taiwan that is at the forefront of global development and commercial deployment.
India’s Supreme Court has delivered a landmark decision that could have severe repercussions for Modi’s ‘smart cities’ program which aims to transform many of India’s cities and bring them into the ‘digital age’.
