A business delegation led by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee and organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 1 to 5 June, strengthening economic and trade ties. Building on this momentum, the Alatau City Authority held the Alatau City Investment Round Table in Hong Kong on 11 June, as part of an official visit by a Kazakh delegation. The event reflects increasingly close ties and proactive efforts to sustain cooperation.
The roundtable was attended by Chief Executive John Lee and Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, along with representatives from government bodies, leading enterprises, financial institutions, and investors from Kazakhstan, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. Participants explored investment opportunities in Alatau City, a new greenfield project near Almaty, focusing on fintech, the low-altitude economy, smart city development, and infrastructure.
John Lee stated: “Kazakhstan's ambitious reforms and its open, welcoming attitude towards international partners were both welcome and impressive. And Hong Kong is eager to build on this momentum, to explore wide-ranging business and investment co-operation with Kazakhstan - Alatau City very much included.” He highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems” as the only world city combining the China advantage and the global advantage.
Silas Chu, Director of Exhibitions and Digital Business of HKTDC, noted the importance of the Central Asian market, referencing the opening of an Almaty consultant office in 2018. He emphasized the HKTDC’s role in promoting Hong Kong as an international business platform through its global network and events like the Belt and Road Summit and InnoEX.
Templewater Limited, a business delegate from the Central Asia visit, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DASCO Capital to explore establishing a fund supporting Kazakhstan’s development and the Alatau City Project. The Central Asia visit yielded 96 MoUs and agreements, with 66 signed by the business delegation covering trade, investment, finance, technology, and aviation. Additionally, 15 government-level cooperation agreements and 15 MoUs in academia and culture were signed, laying a solid foundation for deeper economic ties.
The HKTDC will continue to follow up on key projects by providing business matching and support services, assisting enterprises in exploring international opportunities and promoting collaboration with Belt and Road markets.
