Following is a question by the Hon Ma Fung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (September 10):

Question:

     Hong Kong has been actively participating in the development opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI). The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government regularly organises official and business delegations to conduct visits to relevant countries/regions, and has hosted the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong for 10 consecutive years. Regarding the promotion of the implementation of the B&RI, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Hong Kong SAR Government has plans to organise delegations in the coming year; if so, of the details, and whether there are plans to conduct visits to over 70 countries/regions along the Belt and Road;

(2) given that the Hong Kong SAR Government is actively pursuing the establishment of Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, of the progress of the relevant work; whether the authorities have provided training on Islamic culture for personnel intending to apply for posts at these two ETOs, or recruited Muslim personnel to be posted to these two ETOs;

(3) to enhance the understanding of Hong Kong people and enterprises about the Belt and Road countries/regions, apart from hosting the Belt and Road Summit, whether the Government has plans to organise introductory courses on the politics, economy, society and cultural customs of the countries/regions along the Belt and Road;

(4) as there are views that the Belt and Road countries/regions possess their own unique cultural and artistic heritage, whether the Hong Kong SAR Government engaged in cultural and artistic exchanges with these countries/regions in each of the past three years, so as to establish Hong Kong's role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) of the achievements made by the Belt and Road Office over the past year in promoting the co-operation and exchanges, as well as the economic ties between Hong Kong and countries/regions along the Belt and Road?

Reply:

President,

     Hong Kong is an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI). We have been fully participating in and contributing to the B&RI, utilising the role as a functional platform for the Belt and Road (B&R) and serving our role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", thereby deepening international exchanges and co-operation as well as assisting Hong Kong companies and professional sectors to explore the B&R opportunities.

     In consultation with relevant bureaux, the consolidated reply to the Hon Ma Fung-kwok's question is as follows:

(1) The Government will continue to pay visits and lead business and professional services delegations to priority markets such as the B&R countries, promoting Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" and acting as a bridge to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, to open up more business opportunities for Hong Kong companies (including small and medium enterprises and professional services).

(2) Currently, the Government has 14 overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs). We will continue to expand our ETO network and attract more inward investment and enterprises from the Global South markets to Hong Kong. In this regard, the Government is following up actively with the governments of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia on the establishment of ETOs in these two countries. We will arrange suitable officers to take up positions in the ETOs in accordance with the established mechanism. Generally speaking, the ETOs' manpower comprises Hong Kong-based officers and local staff who are familiar with local culture, language, etc.

(3) The Belt and Road Office (BRO) held the Belt and Road Cross-professional Forum on February 14, 2025, which attracted over 250 business participants from Hong Kong, the Mainland and B&R countries to engage in high-level exchanges and showcased a number of B&R business cases and potential projects, to promote Hong Kong's professional services. Since November 2023, the BRO has organised 10 exchange sessions and has made use of short videos, media interviews and social media, inviting Consuls-General from the B&R countries in Hong Kong as well as representatives of professional bodies, enterprises and youths to share the opportunities and relevant experience in the B&R countries. In addition, we have consolidated the B&R-themed activities of the Government and relevant organisations onto the BRO's website to encourage participation by relevant companies, professional sectors and members of the public.

     Both local and Mainland programmes organised by the Civil Service College (CSC) cover topics related to the development of the B&RI to enable civil servants to gain a deeper understanding of this important national strategy. For example, the Executive Series on "Connecting with the World - ASEAN" and the Executive Series on "Brokering North and South: China in a Multipolar World" invite leaders and experts from around the world, including those from the B&R countries, to share insights on the development of relevant countries/regions and their collaborations and connections with Hong Kong. The CSC also continues to collaborate with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to run a series of talks on the country's foreign affairs, which also cover important topics including the B&RI.

(4) The Government has been committed to promoting the development of arts and culture, enhancing Hong Kong's cultural soft power and influence, and consolidating Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, in line with our nation's overall policy on cultural development. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) have been actively engaging in arts and cultural exchanges with countries along the B&R.

     Every year, the CSTB provides funding for Hong Kong arts groups/artists to organise arts and cultural events on the Mainland and overseas, including relevant B&R countries. The LCSD organises the Hong Kong Week on the Mainland and overseas cities to promote cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the B&R region. Following its staging in Bangkok in 2023, the Hong Kong Week will be held in Seoul, Korea from September to October this year.

     On another front, the LCSD organises such activities as the Asia+ Festival, inviting overseas arts groups/artists to perform in Hong Kong. The LCSD and the WKCDA also collaborate with museums on the Mainland and overseas to organise large-scale exhibitions, academic and professional related exchange activities in Hong Kong, and to explore opportunities for bringing in precious cultural relics to Hong Kong for display.

     In addition, the CSTB and the LCSD organise large-scale international summits, forums or platforms, including the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum, the Museum Summit and the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, etc, which gather cultural ministers, senior officials, cultural leaders and professionals from the Mainland and B&R countries to exchange views on strategies in promoting arts and cultural development, as well as facilitate exchanges and business negotiations of industry players of different places, fully demonstrating Hong Kong's role of a "super connector" and East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

     The WKCDA has also been actively collaborating with countries along the B&R and bringing world-class exhibitions overseas. For instance, the Hong Kong Palace Museum collaborated with the Museum of Islamic Art, a part of Qatar Museums, to present a special exhibition, while the special exhibition "I. M. Pei: Life is Architecture" curated by M+ will be staged at Qatar Museums Gallery, Al Riwaq in Doha.

     On creative industries, the CCIDA, through the CreateSmart Initiative and the Film Development Fund, funds various creative sectors in Hong Kong to participate in exchange and business-matching activities in the B&R countries/regions, such as large-scale art toy exhibitions in Bangkok (Thailand), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and supports local television stations to co-produce variety television programmes with stations from the B&R countries/regions. The CCIDA also invites counterparts from the B&R countries/regions to participate in relevant activities in Hong Kong, so as to promote cross-regional exchange and collaboration in the cultural and creative industries, and supports the collaboration of local sectors and those from the B&R countries/regions.

(5) In the past year, the Government continued to deepen the co-operation with the B&R countries through a range of measures, including:

(a) Expanding economic and trade networks

     The Government continues to expand our economic and trade networks, with a view to assisting Hong Kong enterprises and investors in expanding into the B&R markets and promoting the long-term economic development of Hong Kong. The Government is actively following up on the establishment of an ETO in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Invest Hong Kong set up a consultant office in Cairo, Egypt in July 2024, and its consultant office in Izmir, Türkiye's third largest city, commenced operation in January this year to explore emerging markets in the region;

(b) Negotiating and signing bilateral agreements

     Hong Kong has signed 24 Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) with 33 overseas economies (including B&R economies), including Bahrain, Kuwait, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates. Hong Kong has substantially concluded negotiations on an IPPA with Qatar and is exploring the signing of IPPAs with Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru. In addition, Hong Kong has signed Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements with 53 jurisdictions (including 37 B&R jurisdictions);

     The BRO has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) on August 29, 2025, to enhance information exchange in relation to the fields of infrastructure and construction, and for MISA to provide support to related professional services in Hong Kong to access the Saudi Arabian market;

(c) Organising outbound visits

     From May 16 to 25, 2024, the BRO and the Ministry of Commerce co-led an around 70-strong Hong Kong cum Mainland business delegation to visit Hungary and Kazakhstan, and returned via Xinjiang, encouraging Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises as well as Hong Kong's professional services in jointly exploring the B&R markets. The Hong Kong delegation signed 10 MOUs, covering areas including market collaboration, financial payment technology, start-up ecosystem, investment co-operation and logistics;

     From July 28 to August 2, 2024, the Chief Executive (CE) led a 45-strong delegation to visit Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, with a total of 55 MOUs and agreements signed in areas including trade and economic partnerships, investment, customs collaboration, education, logistics co-operation, tourism promotions, technological co-operation, aviation services, as well as financial, banking and capital market development;

     From October 28 to 31, 2024, the Financial Secretary led a business delegation of over 100 members, including representatives from the finance as well as innovation and technology (I&T) sectors, on a visit to Saudi Arabia to strengthen and deepen connections between Hong Kong and the Middle East in trade, finance and I&T, as well as participate in the 8th Future Investment Initiative Conference, and facilitated a number of joint projects;

     From December 4 to 6, 2024, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development led a business delegation to Urumqi, Xinjiang, during which delegation members attended a co-operation and exchange forum between China (Xinjiang, Hong Kong) and Kazakhstan to promote Hong Kong's advantages, as well as promote economic and trade co-operation and people-to-people exchanges with Xinjiang and Kazakhstan, with a view to jointly exploring the full range of opportunities arising from the B&RI;

     From May 10 to 15, 2025, the CE led a delegation of more than 50 representatives from the business community of Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to visit Qatar and Kuwait. The major goals for the mission were to strengthen government-to-government relations, to explore new areas of co-operation, and to make friends and expand our network. The mission yielded fruitful results, including reaching a total of 59 MOUs and agreements covering trade, investment, financial services, technology, legal, logistics, aviation services, post-secondary education, etc, and further building relations with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries;

     From June 22 to 26, 2025, the Commissioner for Belt and Road led a delegation to Indonesia and Malaysia to promote Hong Kong's professional services related to infrastructure and construction and to explore opportunities for co-operation. The delegation attended presentations of signature projects in the two places, directly connecting with representatives of local enterprises to explore commercially viable investment and co-operation. The delegation also signed 21 MOUs with their partners in Indonesia and Malaysia, covering such areas as business collaboration and exchanges in professional services; and

(d) Organising major events

     The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau will continue to actively organise various major events to promote Hong Kong's advantages and facilitate business matching and project participation between Hong Kong and the B&R countries. Hong Kong has been organising the Belt and Road Summit annually since 2016, and the Summit has been recognised by our country as a case of significance for the implementation of the B&RI in building a global community of shared future. The 10th Summit is being held on September 10 and 11, 2025, under the theme "Collaborate for Change • Shape a Shared Future", and is expected to attract around 6 000 government officials and business leaders from the B&R countries and regions, as well as facilitate a number of MOUs. A number of organisations will also organise events around the Summit period for greater synergies. In April 2024, the BRO partnered with NEOM of Saudi Arabia to organise the "Discover NEOM Hong Kong" roadshow, which attracted around 1 100 participants, including enterprises, investors and professional representatives from the Mainland and Hong Kong. During the roadshow, the BRO organised two business matching sessions, facilitating potential collaborations between 40 Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises and NEOM. Some other major events have been covered in the reply to part (3) above.

Ends/Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:04

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