11th Belt and Road Summit Opens in Hong Kong, Seizing Global Opportunities

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 in Wan Chai under the theme "Advancing High-Quality Development • Embarking on a New Journey." The two-day event brings together more than 100 government officials, business leaders, and professionals from Belt and Road countries and regions to explore new opportunities, promote cross-regional trade and industrial matching, and accelerate concrete outcomes. Multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements were signed on the first day, spanning finance, professional services, industry, and construction, with organisations from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. According to NEWMEDIAWIRE, more MoUs are expected tomorrow, turning connections into tangible collaborations.

The Opening Session featured remarks by John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and Professor Frederick Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC. Special addresses were delivered by Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan; Carolina Cosse, Vice President of Uruguay; and Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of Laos. 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, also gave special remarks. John Lee highlighted Hong Kong's role as a two-way springboard and noted that the GoGlobal Task Force has assisted over 300 Mainland enterprises. Professor Ma emphasised diversification and introduced the new 'GoGlobal Connect' zone. The Policy Dialogue, moderated by Algernon Yau, focused on building resilient trade and investment frameworks, with ministers from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Qatar, and Thailand. Business Plenary I, chaired by Dr Victor K Fung, explored ASEAN and Central Asian market potential. A luncheon featured Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR, and Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, who highlighted Hong Kong's role in linking ASEAN's sustainable investment opportunities with global capital. The Summit also introduced new GoGlobal, Central Asia, and Middle East Chapters, along with exhibition zones, project investment sessions, and over 800 one-to-one business matching meetings. The event is part of Belt and Road Week, which includes the new ASEAN Market Day, and is supported by partners such as China International Capital Corporation and Bank of China (Hong Kong).