The 11th Belt and Road Summit, co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme "Advancing High-Quality Development • Embarking on a New Journey," the Summit brings together more than 100 government officials, business leaders, and professionals from Belt and Road countries and regions to explore new opportunities, promote cross-regional trade and industrial matching, and accelerate concrete outcomes.
Multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements were signed on the first day, spanning finance, professional services, industry, and construction, and involving organisations from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. More MoUs are expected tomorrow, transforming connections into tangible collaborations.
In his opening remarks, John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, highlighted Hong Kong's role as a two-way springboard: "Hong Kong is an ideal two-way springboard for Mainland enterprises expanding overseas, and for international companies looking to enter the Mainland market. Our GoGlobal Task Force, established last October, has assisted more than 300 Mainland enterprises in establishing or expanding their businesses in Hong Kong." He added that since 2022, high-level delegations to 13 Belt and Road countries have delivered over 250 MOUs and agreements.
Professor Frederick Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC, emphasised diversification: "In a world full of risks and uncertainties, diversification is a necessity, not a choice... The Belt and Road Initiative has never been more relevant." He noted new thematic zones like "GoGlobal Connect" to support enterprises expanding internationally.
Special addresses were delivered by Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan; Carolina Cosse, Vice President of Uruguay; and Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of Laos. Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, and Li Zhen, Vice Chairman of SASAC, also gave remarks.
Aripov invited participants to create new manufacturing and technology value chains in Uzbekistan, while Cosse highlighted Uruguay's readiness to translate Belt and Road commitment into tangible outcomes with Hong Kong and partners. Kommasith cited the Lao-China Railway's impact: over 70 million passengers and 90 million metric tons of freight, expanding Laos's trade from 13 commodity categories to over 4,000 products and boosting bilateral trade with China to over US$9.8 billion.
The Policy Dialogue, moderated by Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR, featured ministers from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Qatar, and Thailand discussing resilient trade and investment frameworks. Business Plenary I, chaired by Dr Victor K Fung, explored ASEAN and Central Asian market potential with leaders from Sunwah Group, Sintesa Group, Amata Corporation, Halyk Finance, Phongsavanh Group, and Jiangsu SOHO Holdings.
New GoGlobal, Central Asia, and Middle East Chapters spotlight emerging market opportunities. The Central Asia Chapter included presentations on Alatau City and Data Center Valley by Kazakhstan officials. The Summit features over 300 investment projects, more than 800 one-to-one business matching meetings, and over 120 exhibitors across thematic zones including the new University Zone, GreenTech Zone, and GoGlobal Connect Zone.
Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, said: "Hong Kong can link ASEAN's growing and resilient pipeline of sustainable investment opportunities with global capital... we can turn sustainable initiatives into bankable projects."
The Summit is supported by partners including China International Capital Corporation as Strategic Partner and Bank of China (Hong Kong) as Banking Partner. For more information, visit the Belt and Road Summit website.
This year's Summit underscores Hong Kong's unique advantage under "One Country, Two Systems" as a super connector and value-adder, driving regional economic integration and prosperity. It matters because it signals continued commitment to multilateral trade and investment amid global uncertainties, offering businesses actionable avenues to diversify and expand into high-growth markets.
