The 11th Belt and Road Summit, co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, opened on September 10 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 to explore opportunities in high-quality Belt and Road development, promote cross-regional trade and industrial matching, and accelerate concrete outcomes.
The Summit has already yielded significant results in promoting international cooperation. Multiple memoranda of understanding and agreements were signed on the first day, spanning finance, professional services, industry and construction, and involving organisations from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. More agreements are expected, transforming connections into tangible collaborations.
In his opening remarks, John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, emphasised Hong Kong's role as a two-way springboard. "Hong Kong is an ideal two-way springboard for Mainland enterprises expanding overseas, and for international companies looking to enter the Mainland market," he said, noting that the GoGlobal Task Force has assisted over 300 Mainland enterprises. He added that since 2022, high-level delegations to 13 Belt and Road countries have delivered over 250 MOUs, underscoring Hong Kong's focus on opening new markets.
Professor Frederick Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC, highlighted the importance of diversification. "In a world full of risks and uncertainties, diversification is a necessity, not a choice," he stated, pointing to ASEAN, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America as regions with the greatest growth potential. He noted that this year's Summit introduces new thematic zones, including the "GoGlobal Connect" zone, to support enterprises expanding internationally.
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. Aripov invited participants to use Uzbekistan as a gateway to Central Asia, while Cosse highlighted Uruguay's support for the BRI and readiness to facilitate capital flows into Latin America. Kommasith praised the Lao-China Railway for transforming Laos from a landlocked to a land-linked logistics hub, with bilateral trade surpassing US$9.8 billion.
Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, and Li Zhen, Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, also delivered remarks, expressing support for Hong Kong's deeper participation in Belt and Road cooperation and its role as a "super connector."
The Summit's first-day programme included a Policy Dialogue on building resilient trade and investment frameworks, with ministers from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Qatar, and Thailand. Business plenary sessions explored opportunities in ASEAN and Central Asia, while a luncheon featured a keynote address by Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, who said, "Hong Kong can link ASEAN's growing and resilient pipeline of sustainable investment opportunities with global capital."
The Summit also introduced new chapters for Central Asia and the Middle East, with dedicated sessions and exhibition zones. The Project Investment Sessions cover over 300 investment projects and facilitate more than 800 one-to-one business matching meetings. The Exhibition Zone features over 120 exhibitors across thematic zones, including the new University Zone and GreenTech Zone.
For more information, visit the Belt and Road Summit website and the programme page.
