Hong Kong — The Belt and Road Summit opened on September 10 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, marking its 10th anniversary under the theme “Collaborate for Change • Shape a Shared Future.” Over 90 officials and business leaders from Belt and Road countries convened to explore collaboration opportunities and foster a win-win future.
The Opening Session featured opening remarks by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and welcome remarks by Professor Frederick Ma, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
In his opening address, John Lee underscored Hong Kong’s success as a key Belt and Road platform, attributing it to the unique “one country, two systems” framework, a mature legal system, and judicial institutions that provide investors with essential safeguards.
John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, attended the 10th Belt and Road Summit and delivered a speech in the opening ceremony. (Photo: HKSAR)
Lee also highlighted Hong Kong’s competitiveness, citing its five top-ranked universities, its fourth-place global talent ranking (first in Asia), its world-class airport—which handled over 44 million passengers last year—and its role as a global transportation and cultural hub. Lee reiterated that Hong Kong, as a super-connector and super-value-adder, will continue driving high-quality Belt and Road development by linking Asia and the world through innovation and sustainable growth
“The summit has been gathering key voices in government and business from across the Belt and Road and beyond for dialogue and collaboration. Vital partnerships have been forged, impactful projects have been launched, and cross-border ties have been strengthened,” said Professor Ma, “This year is no different. Collaboration opportunities once again take center stage.“
On the first day, 33 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering sectors such as finance, infrastructure, and technology were signed with countries including Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, and the UAE.
Thirty-three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed on the 10th Belt and Road Summit. (Photo: HKSAR)
Deal-making fosters collaboration, and the exhibition area connects the global
New sessions this year emphasize key projects and markets, with project matching core to translating the Belt and Road Initiative into economic cooperation. Two signature sessions were introduced to engage Hong Kong professionals in infrastructure developments, promoting regional growth.
The summit continues to offer investment and business matching services to forge partnerships. The project investment sessions will showcase more than 300 investment projects. The Belt and Road Deal-Making provides a full range of options, in physical form on 10-11 September and online on 15-16 September, with more than 800 one-to-one project matching meetings expected to occur.
The summit also features an exhibition area across five distinct zones. ASEAN Zone, a new feature this year to focus on the latest projects across various sectors of the ten member states; the Hong Kong Zone to bring together local service providers, showcasing the outstanding services and business advantages; the Global Investment Zone to present large-scale investment projects and opportunities from different countries; the InnoTech Zone to showcase cutting-edge innovations, AI, digital technologies and solutions from around the world and the Mainland Zone to highlight the latest developments in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and the digital economy in mainland China.
At the exhibition area of the 10th Belt and Road Forum, SANY Group is displaying its new machinery. (Photo: Yang Shihan)
Hong Kong-Chongqing Synergy: Empowering Enterprises for Global Expansion
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) jointly organized the summit.
In an interview with iChongqing, Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director of HKTDC, emphasized Hong Kong’s critical role as a gateway and “super connector” for mainland enterprises expanding globally. He highlighted that Hong Kong’s professional services—including legal, accounting, and financial expertise—elevate the quality and success of overseas projects, transforming Hong Kong into not only a “super connector” but also a “super value-add partner.” For instance, in an Indonesian poultry farm project, Hong Kong’s involvement extended beyond financing to optimizing overall project execution and outcomes. Lau expressed a strong interest in deepening collaboration with Chongqing, noting its strategic position as a key hub connecting Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the China-Europe Railway Express. By leveraging Chongqing’s logistical strengths and Hong Kong’s international resources, both regions can synergize to support enterprises in capturing opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative, fostering higher-quality development and mutual economic growth
