The 11th Belt & Road Summit is being held over two consecutive days from today at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, with Chief Executive John Lee speaking at the opening session.

Speaking at the opening session, Mr Lee reiterated that under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong enjoys the strong support of China, while maintaining far-reaching international connectivity.

“With the world struggling with unprecedented change and geopolitical fragmentation, connectivity, co-operation and consensus are essential. That is precisely what the Belt & Road Summit offers.

“Hong Kong's merchandise trade with Belt & Road countries rose by nearly 17% last year, reaching about US$323 billion. Close to 1,500 companies from Belt & Road countries have established offices in Hong Kong, up about 17% from 2022. Over 100 Belt & Road companies are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with more in the pipeline.”

Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said the central government will leverage Hong Kong's strengths in innovation and technology to drive co-operation in emerging fields along the Belt & Road.

Receiving business delegates from Hong Kong earlier this year, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov proposed digital co-operation with Hong Kong on artificial intelligence and fintech.

Uruguayan Vice President Carolina Cosse said China and Uruguay – the first country in Latin America to formally express its support for the Belt & Road Initiative – share core mutual interests.

She said Uruguay recognises Hong Kong's distinctive comparative advantages as a premier international financial, trading and shipping centre, all functioning under the constitutional framework of “one country, two systems.”

“We also follow with the utmost interest the development of the Greater Bay Area, of which Hong Kong is an integral part,” she added.

The theme of this year's summit is “Advancing High-Quality Development · Embarking on a New Journey”, and it includes sessions focused on going global, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith said the summit has facilitated remarkable achievements across infrastructure connectivity, financial integration, digital innovation and sustainable development since its inception in 2016.

“As a super connector and super value-adder, Hong Kong drives multilateral co-operation, business matching and open trade, while providing the financial and professional expertise to turn dialogue into concrete achievements.”

The summit will witness the exchange of over 60 government-level agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs), as well as business MOUs and transactions with Belt & Road partners. The total value of projects and deals concluded in recent days is over US$3.1 billion.

More than 6,000 leaders and professionals from over 70 countries are attending the summit.