HONG KONG - A business delegation led by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee and organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from June 1 to 5, 2026, to strengthen economic and trade ties. Following the visit, the Alatau City Authority of Kazakhstan promptly held the Alatau City Investment Round Table in Hong Kong on June 11, as part of an official Kazakh delegation visit to Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. The event reflects the increasingly close ties between the two sides and demonstrates proactive efforts to build on the outcomes of the recent visit and sustain cooperation momentum.
The roundtable was attended by HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee and Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, along with representatives from government bodies, leading enterprises, financial institutions, and investors from Kazakhstan, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. Participants explored the latest developments and investment opportunities in Alatau City, a new greenfield project near Almaty, across sectors including fintech, low-altitude economy, smart city development, and infrastructure.
Chief Executive John Lee stated at the roundtable: "Kazakhstan's ambitious reforms and its open, welcoming attitude towards international partners were both welcome and impressive. And Hong Kong is eager to build on this momentum, to explore wide-ranging business and investment co-operation with Kazakhstan - Alatau City very much included. I can tell you Hong Kong shares your commitment to openness and connectivity. Under the unique 'one country, two systems' principle, we are the only world city to combine the China advantage and the global advantage."
Silas Chu, Director of Exhibitions and Digital Business of HKTDC, said: "The HKTDC's role is to promote Hong Kong as an international business platform through our global network of 51 offices. We attach huge importance to the Central Asian market. The fact that we opened our Almaty consultant office back in 2018 speaks for itself. And through our business platforms, including those we co-organise with the Hong Kong SAR government, such as the Belt and Road Summit and InnoEX, we can certainly help promote our city's vision and attract international investors and technology partners."
During the roundtable, Templewater Limited, a business delegate from the Central Asia visit, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DASCO Capital to explore establishing a fund supporting the future development of Kazakhstan and the Alatau City Project.
The Central Asia visit yielded 96 MoUs and agreements, including 66 signed by the business delegation covering trade, investment, finance, technology, and aviation; 15 government-level cooperation agreements; and 15 MoUs by non-delegation members in academia and culture. These outcomes lay a solid foundation for deeper economic ties between Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, underscoring Hong Kong's role as a key platform for Mainland enterprises to go global and further promoting long-term collaboration with Central Asian markets.
The HKTDC will continue to follow up on key projects from the visit by providing professional business matching and support services to facilitate implementation, assisting enterprises in exploring new international opportunities. Through major conferences, business missions, and outreach initiatives, the HKTDC aims to promote collaboration between enterprises from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland and Belt and Road markets, enabling them to seize vast business opportunities.
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