Chief Executive John Lee said Hong Kong can help mainland enterprises expand globally under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Lee told the Global Times newspaper that Hong Kong can harness the advantages of China and the rest of the world through the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and should make use of them to help mainland businesses connect with Southeast Asian countries taking part in the initiative.

In the article published on Thursday night, the Chief Executive noted Hong Kong has a strong partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and said the SAR can provide support in areas like financing, talent recruitment, and scientific and technological collaboration.

“We can give full play to Hong Kong's functions as an international city. This is the ‘capital’ we have accumulated over the years,” he said.

Separately, Lee also acknowledged the competitive aspect of the Hong Kong-Singapore relationship, saying healthy competition is essential for development.

“Hong Kong and many places have dual competitive and cooperative relationship. Competition is a good thing. Only with competition can we make progress,” he said.

“Relationships that only benefit one side are not sustainable.”

Lee also denied the claim that Hong Kong’s international status and attractiveness have declined in recent years, saying the city is ranked highly in areas such as investment environment, offshore RMB trading volume, and public transportation.