Belt and Road Cross-professional Forum supports Hong Kong professional services to partner with Mainland and overseas enterprises to open new opportunities along Belt and Road (with photos)
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The Forum attracted over 250 business participants from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Belt and Road countries. More than 30 experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders from the three sides spoke at various sessions, sharing with participants the latest business opportunities and market strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as on how to make good use of Hong Kong as a two-way springboard linking the Belt and Road and Mainland markets to give full play to the city's unique advantages of connecting with both the Mainland and the world, and being the functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative. They also showcased dozens of business cases and potential projects in areas such as finance, construction and engineering, transport and logistics, legal, green technology and innovation and technology, sharing experiences with businesses in Hong Kong and exploring collaboration opportunities.
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that in the face of uncertainties including geopolitical tensions and shifts in the global supply chain, the Belt and Road Initiative had proven to be a key pillar in stabilising global economic development, offering new markets and opportunities for businesses. Hong Kong would continue to be a "super connector" and a "super value-adder", strengthening its business attractions to enterprises from all over the world to capitalise on Belt and Road opportunities.
Mr Yau said that Hong Kong's direct investment position into Belt and Road countries had tripled to around US$120 billion from 2013 to 2022. Adding that Hong Kong owns world-class professional services, he encouraged enterprises from the Mainland and Belt and Road countries to set up operations in the city, leveraging these high-quality professional services and complementary support to more effectively expand into target markets. He also urged Hong Kong enterprises and professional services to partner with Mainland and Belt and Road enterprises to jointly explore new business opportunities through "bringing in and going global" - on one hand partnering with Mainland enterprises to jointly venture into new markets along the Belt and Road, and on the other hand assisting enterprises from Belt and Road countries in tapping the vast Mainland market to promote the prosperous growth of the Belt and Road.
Participants from Hong Kong's professional service sectors covered various areas such as finance, insurance, accounting, legal and dispute resolution, transportation and logistics, architecture and engineering, environmental protection and green development, innovation and technology, information technology, testing and certification, and management consulting. Representatives of a number of local start-ups from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks and Cyberport also attended.
Co-organisers of the Forum included the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association, the Belt and Road General Chamber of Commerce, Invest Hong Kong and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises. The Forum featured thematic discussions, where representatives from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Belt and Road countries shared their strategies in expanding into the markets of Belt and Road countries and the Mainland. They also used real business cases to illustrate key factors and Hong Kong's critical roles. At the subsequent three breakout exchange sessions, Belt and Road enterprises operating in Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises covering different sectors presented their potential projects or the professional services required in future, exchanged views with Hong Kong businesses and explored collaboration opportunities together.
Ends/Friday, February 14, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:52
Issued at HKT 17:52
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