Chief Executive John Lee on Friday said Hong Kong could play a greater role in contributing to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was launched by President Xi Jinping 12 years ago as a mega infrastructure and investment project linking China with many parts of the world.

Speaking at a forum ahead of the city's 10th edition of the annual "Belt and Road Summit", Lee noted the SAR government has signed nearly 160 memorandums of cooperation and agreements over the past three years - with countries in the Middle East and Asean, which are under the initiative.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is an important national strategy for external development. It has the spirit of pursuing peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and benefits, as well as win-win outcomes, all of which also formed the most important source of strength for the joint building of the Belt and Road," he told participants via a recorded video.

"Hong Kong, as a super connector and super value-adder, has been actively integrating into the overall development of the country, and is committed to further deepening international exchanges and cooperation, and promote the initiative's spirits," he added.

The city's leader also noted that with the headquarters of The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) set to be established in Hong Kong, it also shows the trust the international community has in the city in resolving disputes among nations.

Echoing Lee, Secretary for Justice, Paul Lam, said Hong Kong could help promote the initiative by leveraging its internationally recognised and "reputable" common law system and deepening the legal connectivity with other regions.

"Any form of the Belt and Road Initiative project inevitably involves law, especially cross-border law, so high-quality legal services are indispensable to help successfully advance these projects," he said.