The 10th edition of the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong (September 10-11) gathered about 6,200 high-profile participants from governments, international organisations, companies and the global media to celebrate a decade of achievements in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, this year’s flagship Summit adopted ‘Collaborate for Change – Shape a Shared Future’ as its theme.
In his welcoming speech, HKSAR’s chief executive John Lee said, “Over the past 10 years, more than 45,000 people from over 120 countries and regions have participated in the Summit.
“Together, they have presented over 2,800 projects along the Belt and Road, shaping a shared vision through collaboration and connectivity, which are the fundamental values of the Belt and Road Initiative.”
This year’s Summit yielded a record high of 45 government and enterprise memoranda of understanding and commercial agreements, highlighting Hong Kong’s role as the functional platform for the B&RI.
The total value of these MOUs and agreements, together with new projects and deals finalised before the Summit, is close to $1 billion.
Hong Kong is also a leading fundraising hub for Belt and Road economies. In fact, more than 100 Belt and Road companies are listed on the HKEX, with more to come.
“Hong Kong is the ideal Belt and Road hub,” said Mr Lee. “As the only world city that converges both the China advantage and the global advantage, Hong Kong stands as the premier gateway for co-operation, bridging people, trade, business, education, culture and values across the region, connecting Asia and the world.”
Lee also highlighted Hong Kong’s significant advantages, including its status as a global financial centre, a trusted legal system, strong trade and investment, competitiveness, talent, connectivity, and sustainable development.
On talent, Lee cited that under the HKSAR government’s Belt and Road Scholarship and other programmes, more than 4,000 students from Belt and Road countries enrol in Hong Kong’s world-class tertiary programmes every year.
During the Summit, several thematic sessions covering areas such as legal services, trade and commerce, insurance, architecture, green finance and logistics were held to advance a more prosperous, green and interconnected future for Belt and Road countries and regions.
