Mr. Wu has been rated as the most "trendy" member in the Web3 field. He has been committed to promoting the development of Hong Kong's Web3 industry. Currently, he was invited to participate in the first session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and delivered a speech.

Full text of Wu Jiezhuang’s interview:

On March 4, the first session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference opened in Beijing. At the opening ceremony, I listened to speeches and relevant reports, and felt strongly that the work of the CPPCC in the new era has great potential and a glorious mission.

Hong Kong has emerged from the shadow of the epidemic and the dawn is beginning to appear. The next few years are a critical period for economic development. As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, my first proposal focuses on the Web3 digital economy. In the past two years, technologies such as the Metaverse and Web3 (the third generation of the Internet) have been in the limelight and the industry has flourished. I hope that Hong Kong can seize this precious opportunity of Web3, actively explore the integration with Hong Kong's real economy, and play a demonstration role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Because I focus on the WEB3 digital economy, innovative technology and youth, some people say that I am the most "trendy" member. In fact, this is closely related to my personal experience. In 1999, I graduated with a doctorate from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

In 2004, I went to Tsinghua University to pursue a postdoctoral degree without knowing anything about Beijing. In 2010, I sold my listed company and switched my professional identity to a Web3 investor.

I believe that in terms of WEB3 digital economy, Hong Kong can become a "Web3 accelerator" that connects the mainland with the world. Hong Kong is currently undergoing a major reform. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange will amend the main board listing rules in March to allow technology companies with no income and no profit to list in Hong Kong. I believe that Hong Kong will definitely become a global Web3 innovation and technology highland, and there is a lot to be done in the direction of blockchain and Web3.

In terms of financial support, from the budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year announced by the SAR government some time ago, we can clearly see the importance attached to the digital economy, Web3, artificial intelligence and other fields.

The SAR government plans to establish an artificial intelligence supercomputing center. Cyberport and I established the Web3 base at the beginning of this year and will allocate HK$50 million to accelerate the development of the Web3 ecosystem. I have also incubated many companies in the WEB3 digital economy field.

We are delighted to see that: in 2021, there were 18 "unicorn companies" in Hong Kong, and 3 of them were valued at more than US$10 billion; in 2022, 5 universities in Hong Kong entered the top 100 in the world, and CoinDesk released the 50 universities with the greatest influence in blockchain and Web3 in the world, with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University ranking first; the number of Hong Kong WEB3 start-ups has increased to nearly 4,000, with venture capital exceeding HK$40 billion.

Last May, I opened the first "WEB3 Metaverse Councillor Office" in Hong Kong. Through this WEB3 virtual office, I can answer citizens' inquiries directly online. Elderly or disabled citizens can use it to contact me conveniently and solve a series of practical problems through communication. Young people are also willing to accept Web3 and devote themselves to community work.

I also held a WEB3 Metaverse exhibition for the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, so that citizens can experience the new possibilities brought by innovation and technology. In the Metaverse exhibition space, citizens can see many historical photos and videos related to the return without leaving their homes. We also set up some small games to increase the fun. A young person told me that he was particularly moved when he saw the five-star red flag rising slowly in Golden Bauhinia Square from the WEB3 Metaverse space. In the end, nearly 100,000 people visited the exhibition. I am very grateful and encouraged.

I recently traveled to South Korea, Singapore and other places to communicate with different young friends and entrepreneurs, hoping to attract them to the Greater Bay Area to participate in the construction of innovation and technology. The goal of the accelerator I founded is to help 1,000 Web3 projects land in Hong Kong in the next three years. Currently, 350 projects have signed up to learn about the accelerator's new project Web3hub, and these companies come from all over the world.

In March in Beijing, magnolias are gradually blooming. I sincerely invite more young talents in Web3 innovation from the mainland to come to Hong Kong for development and find their own space and stage. Hong Kong will continue to "rely on the motherland" and provide high-quality platforms to help everyone "connect the world", create new situations and achieve new leaps.

—— Wu Jiezhuang, member of the National Committee of the Hong Kong Region, member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, and chairman of the board of directors of Gaofeng Group