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, strengthening economic and trade ties between Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and Central Asia. Building on this momentum, the Alatau City Authority, a state body of Kazakhstan, promptly held the Alatau City Investment Roundtable in Hong Kong on June 11, as part of an official visit by a Kazakh delegation to Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. The event reflects increasingly close ties and proactive efforts to sustain cooperation outcomes.
The roundtable was attended by Chief Executive John Lee and Kazakhstan's 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 investment opportunities in Alatau City, a greenfield project near Almaty, across sectors including fintech, low-altitude economy, smart city development, and infrastructure. John Lee noted Kazakhstan's ambitious reforms and open attitude, stating: "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." He emphasized Hong Kong's unique advantage under "one country, two systems," combining China and global advantages.
Silas Chu, Director of Exhibitions and Digital Business of HKTDC, highlighted the council's role in promoting Hong Kong as an international business platform through its 51 offices worldwide. He noted the importance of the Central Asian market, evidenced by the opening of an Almaty consultant office in 2018. 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 Kazakhstan's development 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 in academia and culture. These outcomes underscore Hong Kong's role as a platform for Mainland enterprises to go global and promote long-term collaboration with Central Asian markets. The HKTDC will follow up on key projects by providing professional business matching and support services, and through major conferences, business missions, and outreach initiatives, promote collaboration between Hong Kong, Mainland enterprises, and Belt and Road markets.
