Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday said Hong Kong had been expanding its network along the Belt and Road, adding that the city could help countries who had joined the initiative to enter the mainland and expand their reach in global markets.

He made the remarks during a speech at the 11th Belt and Road Summit – a two-day event in Wan Chai that gathers more than 6,000 government leaders and high-profile professionals from more than 70 countries.

Lee said Hong Kong enjoyed the country’s support while maintaining international connectivity, and was recognised as an international centre for finance, trade and logistics, facilitating its contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Rooted in our rich history of cross-cultural collaboration, the Belt and Road Initiative is not a map of the past, but a shared blueprint for the future,” he said.

“And Hong Kong is where we realise that future. Where East meets West. Where capital, talent, businesses and opportunities converge.”

Lee said his recent trip to Central Asia had achieved encouraging results, with Central Asian companies pursuing Hong Kong listings while direct flights between the region and the SAR are expected to begin in January.

“These are not isolated successes. Rather, they demonstrate the value of a hub-to-hub co-operation model,” he said.

“Under it, Hong Kong can serve as Belt and Road economies' gateway to the Chinese Mainland and global markets.

“In return, the countries we visit join us with their regions, creating an inter-connected network of hubs. This network will amplify regional strengths through enhanced connectivity and, in doing so, unleash fresh opportunities.”

Lee said Hong Kong serves as two-way springboard for mainland enterprises to expand overseas and global firms to enter the mainland market.

He said the city was also attracting students from around the world, including those from the Belt and Road countries, while promoting cultural exchanges.

Lee went on to say that this year’s Belt and Road Summit would witness the exchange of over 60 government agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU), as well as business MoUs and transactions with Belt and Road partners.

He added that the projects and deals concluded in recent days had reached more than US$3.1 billion in value.



Edited by Tony Sabine