The Second Belt and Road Summit opens next Monday

HONG KONG - Jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the second Belt and Road Summit will be held on 11 September (Monday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The second edition of the Summit is expected to attract more than 2,500 senior government ministers as well as key representatives of international institutions, business and industry leaders from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, the ASEAN region and other countries along the Belt and Road. The Summit is set to usher the Belt and Road Initiative into the implementation phase and help global enterprises seize related business opportunities.

 

Numerous projects and infrastructure construction related to the Belt and Road Initiative have been set in motion, reflecting the cooperative framework for global development taking shape and becoming a major driver for regional and global economic growth. Under the theme "From Vision to Action," this year's Belt and Road Summit will spotlight infrastructure investment and ASEAN opportunities. The Summit is expected to become an exchange platform promoting more concrete cooperation on infrastructure, commerce and trade. Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the HKSAR and Ning Jizhe, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, will deliver keynote speeches at the opening session.

 

Infrastructure development is a top priority among the Initiative's five key focus areas: policy coordination, investment and trade facilitation, financial integration as well as cultural and social exchange. The Initiative advocates building infrastructure such as roads, railroads and energy pipelines and opening intermodal channels through international cooperation. The goal is to promote a seamless flow of goods and optimal use of resources.

 

Reflecting the fact that success of large-scale infrastructure developments hinges on policy coordination among governments, the first panel at the Summit will be "Investing in Belt and Road: Dialogue with Policymakers." The session will be chaired by Laura Cha, Chairman of Hong Kong's Financial Services Development Council, along with panellists Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government; Virasakdi Futrakul, Thailand's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Justyna Skrzydlo, Poland's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Construction; and ministers from other Belt and Road countries and regions. The panellists will share insights on the infrastructure policies of various countries, enabling participants to gain a comprehensive understanding of the policy landscape for infrastructure development on the Belt and Road.

 

Against the backdrop of rapid regional economic growth in recent years, ASEAN nations are expected to enter into a free-trade agreement with Hong Kong in the near future, strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Keen demand among ASEAN countries for infrastructure also presents new opportunities for Hong Kong's services industries.