HONG KONG, Sept 11, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The ninth Belt and Road Summit, co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The theme is Building a Connected, Innovative and Green Belt and Road. As one of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Summit brings together over 90 policymakers and business leaders from Belt and Road countries and regions. It centres on the eight major steps President Xi Jinping announced last year to support the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and explores cooperation opportunities for the next golden decade of the BRI.

The Opening Session featured opening remarks by John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and welcome remarks by Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC. Special addresses were delivered by Li Yongjie, Deputy China International Trade Representative of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China; Gou Ping, Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China; and Xiao Weiming, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China. A keynote address was delivered by H.E. Nguyen Hoa Binh, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam.

John Lee said during his opening remarks: “Green development is increasingly important in Belt and Road collaboration. Hong Kong contributes to the cause of sustainability by not only developing green tech, but also by leveraging our expertise in financial services and driving the development of green finance.  Earlier this year, we launched the world's first multi-currency, tokenised green bond, part of our commitment to Hong Kong's rise as a green finance hub.”

Dr Lam said: “Innovation and sustainability are key drivers of growth today. We will discuss how we can work more closely together to create a more innovative and greener Belt and Road. With its unique strengths and advantages, Hong Kong is ideally placed to foster collaboration. As the most international city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and gateway to the vast Mainland China market, Hong Kong can facilitate many opportunities across Asia and beyond. ASEAN – our second-largest trading partner – will be a market highlight at this year’s Summit, following the recent mission we organised to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam led by Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee.”

In her remarks, Li Yongjie said: “Under the framework of The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) supports Hong Kong to enhance its status as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, and to play the role of a hub and platform in the Belt and Road Initiative.  The MOFCOM will support Hong Kong in signing free trade agreements and investment protection agreements with more countries and regions, and to join Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership as soon as possible. The MOFCOM will also support mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to strengthen information exchange, deepen cooperation on Belt and Road projects, enhance Hong Kong's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, and strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international trade centre.”

H.E. Nguyen Hoa Binh said during his speech: “The global economy is experiencing significant transformations in its structure and growth model, requiring both governments and the business community to collaborate in promoting initiatives on economic cooperation and integration that support peace, cooperation and development at regional and global levels. I am confident that with the commitment and sound policies of our governments, along with the support and active engagement of the business community and by embracing a spirit of equality, openness and mutual benefit while upholding international law, the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to flourish.”

Deepening multilateral cooperation for a win-win future

Following the successful outcomes of Chief Executive John Lee's ASEAN visit in July, organised by the HKTDC, the Summit aims to further deepen relations between Hong Kong and ASEAN as well as other emerging markets along the Belt and Road.

The Policy Dialogue, hosted by Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR, focused on Multilateral Cooperation for an Interconnected World. Invited ministerial-level officials from ASEAN and Central Asia who explored opportunities for multilateral cooperation include: H.E. Lim Lork Piseth, Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia; Rachmat Kaimuddin, Deputy Coordinating Minister, Maritime Affairs and Investment in Infrastructure and Transportation, Indonesia; Arman Kassenov, Vice-Minister of National Economy, the Republic of Kazakhstan.

One highlight of the first day was the Business Plenary chaired by Professor KC Chan, Chairman of WeLab Bank. This session featured Ding Yanzhang, Chairman of Power Construction Corporation of China; Clara Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Lee Kee Group; Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Value Partners Group; Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, Chief Executive Officer of Sintesa Group. They discussed Hong Kong's role in promoting multilateral business cooperation as well as strategies that global companies are adopting in response to the latest international situation. In the evening, a cocktail reception took place with welcoming and opening remarks from Dr Peter K N Lam, and Sun Yu, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of China (HK) Limited. Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR, also delivered special remarks.

The Keynote Luncheon featured a welcome address by Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, opening remarks by Chen Liang, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Management Committee of China International Capital Corporation Limited, and a keynote speech by Dilma Rousseff, President of New Development Bank.

Comprehensive analyses of topical issues on the first day of the thematic breakout session

As the Belt and Road Initiative enters its next golden decade, there is increasing demand for efficient, one-stop legal and dispute resolution services. A thematic breakout session titled Building a Green, Sustainable and Innovative Silk Road through Hong Kong’s Legal and Dispute Resolution Services was co-hosted with the Department of Justice of the HKSAR. The session began with welcome remarks from Paul TK Lam, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, featuring business leaders from the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and law firms. Another thematic breakout session on the first day was co-hosted with the Insurance Authority, titled Role of Captive Insurance in Supporting Belt and Road Initiative.

Additionally, the Summit co-hosted the Mainland-Hong Kong Trade In Services Symposium with the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM). This symposium analysed the latest developments across various sectors, driving service innovation along the Belt and Road, with representatives from leading companies in telecommunications, AI and professional services. The Symposium also features a pavilion brought by MOFCOM, which brings together exhibitors in the fields of green technology, business services and cultural trade to showcase China's achievements in trade in services to global buyers, and to build a platform for collaboratively exploring the international market.

Debut Green Chapter highlights Hong Kong's green advantages

This year’s Summit introduces a new Green Chapter, featuring a series of thematic breakout sessions related to green construction, innovation and finance, allowing participants to explore ways of developing green businesses leveraging Hong Kong as a platform.

The Charting Green Development for a Connected World session discussed strategies for optimising green infrastructure development. It was co-hosted by the China International Contractors Association. The speakers at this session were:  Chen Zhong, Vice General Manager of China Communications Construction Group Limited; Harry Lai, Executive Director of Hong Kong Green Building Council; Wu Yun, Deputy General Manager of China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd; Rex Wong, CEO of Kam Shing Group; and Mi Zhihui, Vice President of Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

Second Business Plenary to explore opportunities in the Middle East

Tomorrow's Business Plenary will be chaired by Ronnie C. Chan, Honorary Chair of Hang Lung Properties Limited. The business plenary, which will explore opportunities in the Middle East and other Belt and Road markets, will feature: Mohamed Abduljabbar Alkoheji, Second Vice-Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Bonnie Y Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; Peter Fekete, Group CEO of 4iG from Hungary; Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Limited from Hong Kong; Iqbal Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Fajr Capital from UAE; and Bui Kim Thuy, Deputy CEO of VinFast from Vietnam.

Two new thematic breakout sessions will also take place tomorrow – Multi-dimensional Connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative and People-to-people Exchanges through Business and Cultural Collaboration – discussing progress in transport connectivity and ways in which economic and cultural exchanges can enhance mutual understanding. The Green Chapter will also have two sessions tomorrow on Smart and Green Silk Road and Developing Viable Sustainable Infrastructure Projects. Two sessions from the Finance Chapter will discuss how businesses can seize financial services opportunities in the Belt and Road via Hong Kong to expand in ASEAN and the Middle East and the impact of financial innovation and technology on BRI development. A Youth Chapter session brings together young business leaders to talk about the ways in which youth can harness opportunities presented by the BRI.

19 MoUs signed on Day 1

19 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed on the first day of the Summit. Signatories of the 4 G2G MoUs and 15 B2B MoUs comprised government and businesses from the Middle East and ASEAN, including the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam as well as Australia. Areas covered include infrastructure, energy and sustainable development. This year’s Summit continues to offer investment and business matching services, including one-to-one project matching meetings and project investment sessions. The business matching service provides a full range of options, in both physical form on 11-12 September and online on 16-17 September, with more than 280 investment projects expected to be matched and more than 800 one-to-one project matching meetings taking place.

The Summit continues to feature an exhibition area showcasing more than 100 exhibitors across three distinct zones: the Hong Kong Zone, Global Investment Zone and InnoTech Zone. The Hong Kong Zone highlights the services and business advantages of Hong Kong service providers. The Global Investment Zone presents large-scale investment projects, cultural and technological developments as well as global investment opportunities. The InnoTech Zone showcases cutting-edge innovations, AI, digital technologies and solutions from around the world.

The Strategic Partner for the 9th Belt and Road Summit is Bank of China International Capital Corporation Ltd. The Banking Partner is Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. The Global Connectivity Partner is the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. The New Economy Partner is Standard Chartered. The Diamond Sponsor is Huatai International Financial Holdings Company, while China Mobile International Limited, China National Petroleum Corporation, China Telecom Global and China Unicom Global Limited are Platinum Sponsors.

The 9th Belt and Road Summit

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About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.

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