The 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong (Sept 10-11) drew around 6,200 participants from governments, global organisations, businesses and media to celebrate 10 years of progress under the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI).
Jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the flagship event carried the theme “Collaborate for Change – Shape a Shared Future.”
In his opening remarks, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee noted, “Over the past 10 years, more than 45,000 people from over 120 countries and regions have participated in the Summit. Together, they have presented over 2,800 projects along the Belt and Road, shaping a shared vision through collaboration and connectivity, which are the fundamental values of the Belt and Road Initiative.”
This year’s summit produced a record 45 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and commercial agreements between governments and enterprises. Including deals concluded ahead of the summit, their combined value is close to US$1 billion.
Highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a key platform for the B&RI, Lee said, “Hong Kong is the ideal Belt and Road hub. As the only world city that converges both the China advantage and the global advantage, Hong Kong stands as the premier gateway for co-operation, bridging people, trade, business, education, culture and values across the region, connecting Asia and the world.”
Lee also outlined Hong Kong’s strengths in finance, legal services, competitiveness, connectivity, sustainability, and talent. He noted that under the Belt and Road Scholarship and related schemes, more than 4,000 students from Belt and Road countries pursue higher education in Hong Kong each year.
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The summit featured thematic sessions on legal services, trade, insurance, architecture, green finance and logistics, aimed at building a greener and more interconnected future. Alongside, Hong Kong is hosting major Belt and Road-linked events such as the Future Investment Initiative PRIORITY Summit, the Saudi Super Cup, and next year’s first global edition of LEAP East, a major Middle Eastern tech expo.
Over 20 other activities — spanning business, arts, music, sports and academia — are also taking place, including the “Wonders of Imperial Carpets” exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and a Belt and Road concert by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on Sept 27.
Source: Agency