The 11th the Belt and Road Summit Forum, jointly organized by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, was opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on September 9, 2026, with more than 6000 people from all walks of life from more than 70 countries and regions participating.

With the theme of "Promoting high-quality development and starting a new journey together", the forum gathered political and business leaders and professionals from countries and regions that jointly built the the Belt and Road, discussed new opportunities for high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road, promoted cross regional economic and trade cooperation and industrial docking, and accelerated the implementation of cooperation achievements.

Li Jiachao, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered a speech saying that the world is undergoing unprecedented changes and geopolitical fragmentation, and the connectivity, cooperation and consensus provided by the the Belt and Road Initiative are vital. Hong Kong, with the advantages conferred by the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, is the ideal platform for realizing the vision of the initiative.

He mentioned that last year, the trade volume of goods between Hong Kong and the countries jointly building the the Belt and Road was about 323 billion dollars, up nearly 17% year on year. Nearly 1500 enterprises from the countries jointly building the the Belt and Road have set up offices in Hong Kong. In terms of talent exchange, the the Belt and Road Scholarship launched by the SAR Government has funded more than 830 students. These are the results of Hong Kong's participation in the high-quality construction of the the Belt and Road.

Ma Shiheng, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, said in his speech that the core of the the Belt and Road Initiative is to build closer ties, turn development potential into cooperation opportunities, and then turn opportunities into tangible results that benefit all regions. ASEAN, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and other markets have huge growth potential. As an important business platform of the the Belt and Road, Hong Kong will continue to give play to its advantages of internal and external connections to connect the mainland and the global market.

Yan Dong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said in a speech that the Ministry of Commerce would support Hong Kong to consolidate and enhance its position as an international financial, shipping, trade center and international aviation hub, help the Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation and connectivity, promote the comprehensive upgrade of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), expand the mainland's opening to Hong Kong's financial, shipping, tourism and other key areas, support Hong Kong to sign more free trade agreements and investment agreements with foreign countries, join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) as soon as possible, and participate extensively in regional economic and trade cooperation.

Li Zhen, Deputy Director of the State owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said that he hopes Hong Kong can provide professional support in project financing, listing and issuing bonds, asset management, and risk prevention, so that more international capital can understand and participate in central enterprise projects nearby, and make Hong Kong a "reception room" for long-term capital and patient capital.

It is reported that on the first day of the forum, all parties reached a total of 32 cooperation memorandums and agreements, covering fields such as finance, professional services, industry, and construction.

Source: China's Belt and Road Network

Editor/Yang Meiling