HONG KONG  -- The Ninth Belt and Road Summit, which opened today and runs for two days, has attracted around 6,000 political and business leaders from Belt and Road countries and regions, including government officials from approximately 10 countries, prominent international business leaders, over 100 delegations, and 38 central state-owned enterprises from Mainland China. Participants are exploring the opportunities and potential areas of development as the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) enters its next golden decade, with a focus on investment, business, trade, innovation and technology, and green development.

The summit, hosted annually by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government since 2016, has become the premier Belt and Road business and investment platform for enterprises from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas. The event highlights Hong Kong's role as an essential platform for the B&RI, assisting enterprises and professional services in exploring new business opportunities.

Under the theme "Building a Connected, Innovative, and Green Belt and Road", this year’s summit has expanded its scope, focusing on the eight major steps announced by President Xi Jinping last year to support high-quality development of the B&RI. The summit promotes cooperation between Hong Kong and Belt and Road countries in areas such as trade, investment, technology, arts, culture, and talent exchange, while also fostering cultural ties.

Speaking at the opening session, Chief Executive John Lee highlighted that the B&RI has inspired countries and economies to share opportunities, foster development, and promote cultural exchanges. He emphasised that Hong Kong, as the most open and international city in China, is perfectly positioned to play a key role in realising the visionary goals of the B&RI.

Lee added that under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong uniquely enjoys both China’s advantages and global advantages. As a "super connector" and "super value-adder", Hong Kong provides world-class infrastructure and professional services that facilitate trade and enhance projects. He also elaborated on Hong Kong's developments in trade, legal services, innovation and technology, green development, and fostering people-to-people bonds.

Looking ahead, Lee said that as the B&RI enters its next golden decade, the friendship and business collaboration among participating countries will accelerate economic growth, boost companies' performance, and strengthen community ties.

Also speaking at the opening session were Deputy China International Trade Representative of the Ministry of Commerce Li Yongjie, Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council Gou Ping, and Deputy Secretary General of the National Development and Reform Commission Xiao Weiming. Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Hoa Binh and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff delivered keynote speeches at the opening session and luncheon, respectively.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan, delivering welcoming remarks at the keynote luncheon, highlighted Hong Kong's diversified financial services, which include a deep and extensive stock market and a vibrant bond market, providing an ideal platform for Belt and Road governments and companies to raise funds for infrastructure, green transition, and community projects. As a leading green finance hub in Asia and a rising international green tech centre, Hong Kong offers financial and technological solutions that support economies in embracing green transition and achieving net-zero targets. With top-tier professional and risk management services, Hong Kong is ready to collaborate with Belt and Road economies for high-quality development.

The Secretary for Justice, Paul Lam, SC, gave opening remarks at the thematic breakout session titled "Building a Green, Sustainable, and Innovative Silk Road through Hong Kong's Legal and Dispute Resolution Services". He emphasised that legal issues and potential disputes can arise from Belt and Road projects, making Hong Kong ideal for providing one-stop legal and dispute resolution services. He also highlighted the city’s strengths in applying stringent environmental, social, and governance standards, its comprehensive intellectual property laws, and its reputable dispute resolution services.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau chaired the Policy Dialogue on "Multilateral Co-operation for an Interconnected World", where he discussed with three overseas economic and trade ministers how multilateral cooperation can create more opportunities for Belt and Road countries. Yau noted that promoting international cooperation through "hard connectivity", "soft connectivity", and "connectivity of hearts" will accelerate high-quality development and achieve common prosperity, aligning with the B&RI vision of building a global community with a shared future.

A business plenary session gathered prominent business leaders to discuss Hong Kong's role in facilitating trade and business cooperation under the B&RI. Additional thematic breakout sessions were held on "Mainland-Hong Kong Trade in Services Symposium", "Role of Captive Insurance in Supporting Belt and Road Initiative", and "Charting Green Development for a Connected World".

At the summit, the HKSAR Government exchanged memoranda of understanding with the Maldives and Indonesia on enhancing anti-corruption cooperation, with Cambodia on promoting bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and with the Solomon Islands on collaboration in aeronautical meteorological science. The summit also led to 19 memoranda of understanding on commercial collaboration.

This year’s summit features a new Green Chapter with thematic sessions on green development, innovation, and technology, where business leaders and enterprise representatives shared insights on the application of green technology and explored how Hong Kong can contribute to sustainable development in Belt and Road countries.

The summit was attended by over 200 Belt and Road Scholarship recipients, Youth Development Commission Youth Ambassadors, Youth Link members, and Strive and Rise Programme students and mentors, promoting cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds while offering insights into the Belt and Road's latest developments and opportunities.

The summit continues tomorrow (12th September) with a business plenary session focusing on the Middle East and emerging markets, exploring new development opportunities under the B&RI. Tomorrow’s project investment sessions will focus on innovation and technology, urban development, and the Middle East and North Africa. The summit also features over 800 one-on-one business matching meetings for more than 280 projects.