The eighth edition of the Belt and Road Summit will take place in Hong Kong next month to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The summit, jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 13 and 14.

Under the theme “Prospering on a Decade of Collaboration”, the summit will enable a vital platform for Belt and Road-related business exchange.

Some 80 government officials and business leaders from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, as well as project owners, investors and service providers from around the world, will gather to share their Belt and Road experience over the past 10 years.

“The physical return of the Belt and Road Summit after the pandemic carries great weight as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR. 

The summit will offer an opportunity to deepen understanding of Hong Kong’s pivotal role in the Belt and Road initiative and to foster increased business opportunities, particularly in emerging markets such as ASEAN and the Middle East.

Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, said the summit has consistently garnered high-level support from the mainland, adding they anticipate the participation of over 5,000 guests.

Over the past decade, more than 150 countries and regions and over 30 international organisations have signed more than 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents, covering markets accounting for 40% of global GDP and 45% of world goods trade.

Hong Kong has been an active participant and contributor, helping global companies expand in Belt and Road countries and regions, fostering deeper exchanges and cooperation between nations, and promoting high-quality economic growth.

This year’s summit will feature two policy dialogue sessions focusing on the potential of the Middle East with speakers including Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the UAE and Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation of Egypt.

The Middle East Forum will feature a business and investment outlook in the Middle East market, with experts analysing trade and investment prospects of the Middle Eastern market and further strengthening of the connection between Hong Kong and Middle Eastern countries.

The HKTDC will extend its online and physical deal-making service to seven days (September 13 to 20), expecting to arrange more than 800 one-to-one project-matching sessions covering more than 280 investment projects this year.  

Project investment sessions will focus on four main areas:
•    Energy, natural resources and public utilities
•    Innovation and technology
•    Urban development and transport and logistics infrastructure

Project-pitching sessions on the Middle East and emerging markets will be introduced this year, the statement added.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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