The 10th Belt & Road Summit opened in Hong Kong today, bringing together over 6,000 participants, including more than 90 government and business speakers, as well as over 100 delegations to explore opportunities in areas such as trade and commerce, innovation and technology.

Speaking at the opening session, Chief Executive John Lee said the summit has united governments, businesses, peoples and cultures in collaboration for change.

Mr Lee said that over the past 10 years, more than 45,000 people from some 120 countries and regions have participated in the summit, with over 2,800 projects presented, shaping a vision through collaboration and connectivity, which are the fundamental values of the Belt & Road Initiative.

“To mark this 10th edition, we are introducing a new session on signature Belt & Road projects. It will be complemented by project investment sessions on energy, natural resources, public utilities and urban development, including Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis, which takes up one-third of Hong Kong's geographical area and is fast rising as an innovation and technology hub.”

He added that Hong Kong's “dual superpower” as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” injects vigour, innovation, sustainability and strategic value to capital and projects, and will continue to drive high quality development along the Belt & Road area.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan gave welcome remarks at the keynote luncheon, where he highlighted the Government’s vision for the city to become an international centre for green technology and green finance, playing its pivotal role in driving global green transition. 

The Government is actively promoting the development of transition finance, while also addressing the diverse needs of emerging economies through innovative financial instruments such as catastrophe bonds and the securitisation of infrastructure debt, he added.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam gave opening remarks at the thematic breakout session, noting that Hong Kong international civil and commercial law and practice under its common law system are highly recognised by the international business community.

The summit featured nine memorandums of understanding between the Government and related organisations and their overseas counterparts, and yielded a record high of about 50 government and enterprise memorandums of understanding, highlighting Hong Kong’s role as the functional platform for the Belt & Road Initiative.