The 11th Belt and Road Summit, co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme "Advancing High-Quality Development • Embarking on a New Journey," the Summit convenes more than 100 government officials, business leaders, and professionals from Belt and Road countries and regions. The event serves as a critical platform to explore new opportunities in high-quality Belt and Road development, promote cross-regional trade and industrial matching, and accelerate concrete outcomes.
The Summit's significance is underscored by the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements on its first day. These agreements span finance, professional services, industry, and construction, involving organisations from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. The deals signal a strong commitment to turning dialogue into tangible business collaborations, with more expected tomorrow. Such outcomes highlight the Summit's role in fostering international cooperation and facilitating business partnerships, particularly as global supply chains reconfigure and economies seek resilience.
In his opening remarks, John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, emphasised Hong Kong's unique position: "Hong Kong is an ideal two-way springboard for Mainland enterprises expanding overseas, and for international companies looking to enter the Mainland market." He noted that the GoGlobal Task Force, established last October, has already assisted over 300 Mainland enterprises in establishing or expanding their businesses in Hong Kong. Lee also highlighted high-level business delegations to 13 Belt and Road countries since 2022, which delivered over 250 MOUs and agreements, underlining Hong Kong's focus on opening new markets and advancing regional cooperation.
Professor Frederick Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC, stressed the importance of diversification in a world of risks and uncertainties: "The Belt and Road Initiative has never been more relevant. At its core, the Initiative is about forging new connections, turning potential into opportunity, and opportunity into tangible development." He identified ASEAN, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America as regions with the greatest growth potential. The Summit introduced new thematic zones, including the "GoGlobal Connect" zone, to leverage Hong Kong's professional services expertise for international expansion.
Special addresses from Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan; Carolina Cosse, Vice President of Uruguay; and Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of Laos, underscored the global reach of the Belt and Road Initiative. Aripov invited participants to use Uzbekistan as a gateway to Central Asia, while Cosse highlighted Uruguay's pioneering support for the BRI in Mercosur. Kommasith cited the Lao-China Railway as a transformative project that has facilitated over 70 million passengers and 90 million metric tons of freight, expanding Laos's trade profile from 13 commodity categories to over 4,000 products and boosting bilateral trade with China to over US$9.8 billion. These testimonies illustrate how Belt and Road cooperation is delivering concrete economic benefits and reshaping regional connectivity.
Yan Dong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, and Li Zhen, Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, reaffirmed support for Hong Kong's role in Belt and Road cooperation. Yan emphasized guiding Hong Kong enterprises to provide professional services for project implementation, while Li highlighted Hong Kong's advantages under "One Country, Two Systems" as a "super connector" and "super value-adder." Their remarks signal strong backing for Hong Kong's integration into national development strategies.
The Summit also featured a Policy Dialogue on building resilient trade and investment frameworks, with ministers from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Qatar, and Thailand exchanging views on enhancing economic resilience. Business plenary sessions explored opportunities in ASEAN and Central Asia, with leaders discussing cross-border investment and industrial collaboration. A luncheon keynote by Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, emphasized Hong Kong's potential to bridge ASEAN's sustainable investment pipeline with global capital.
New GoGlobal, Central Asia, and Middle East chapters spotlight opportunities in emerging markets. The Summit introduced a GoGlobal Chapter to support enterprises going global, with thematic breakout sessions on professional services and Mainland enterprises expanding overseas. Dedicated Central Asia and Middle East chapters focus on investment opportunities, with presentations on projects like Alatau City and the Data Center Valley. These initiatives reflect a strategic pivot toward high-growth regions and align with Hong Kong's efforts to cultivate new markets.
The Summit's exhibition area features over 120 exhibitors across thematic zones, including the new University Zone, GreenTech Zone, and GoGlobal Connect Zone. Project investment sessions cover more than 300 investment projects and facilitate over 800 one-to-one business matching meetings. The deal-making sessions extend online to 14-15 September, enabling global connections. For more information, visit the Belt and Road Summit website at https://www.beltandroadsummit.com/conference/bnr/en.
Held during Belt and Road Week, the Summit is one of several flagship events. A new ASEAN Market Day on 10 September will feature business leaders sharing insights on expanding into ASEAN markets, particularly for SMEs. The Belt and Road Global Forum Annual Roundtable on 11 September will bring together international organisations to explore multilateral cooperation. These concurrent activities reinforce Hong Kong's role as a premier platform for Belt and Road collaboration and underscore the event's importance in driving regional economic integration and prosperity.
