Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the 10th Belt and Road Summit today (September 10):

Honourable Director Zhou Ji (the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)), Secretary Feng Fei (Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee), Vice Minister Yan Dong (Vice Minister of Commerce), Vice Chairman Li Zhen (Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council), Deputy Secretary General Xiao Weiming (Deputy Secretary General of the National Development and Reform Commission), Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR), Professor Frederick Ma (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council), officials and friends from around the world, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning. Welcome to Hong Kong, and the 10th Belt and Road Summit.

     Let me first extend a warm welcome to – His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol of Cambodia (Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia), His Excellency Minister Santiphab Phomvihane from Laos (Minister of Finance of Laos), His Excellency Minister Anthony Loke from Malaysia (Minister of Transport of Malaysia), His Excellency Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed from Qatar (Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs of Qatar), as well as many senior officials and distinguished leaders from Belt and Road countries here, for this anniversary Summit.

     As the Chinese saying goes, "有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎" – "What a joy to have friends coming from afar".

     So many friends, I'm delighted to say. This 10th anniversary edition of Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit brings together more than 6 000 high-profile leaders and participants from governments, international organisations, companies and the global media, here to celebrate a decade of achievements. I'd say that's proof collaboration works. And that this annual Summit delivers.

     Since 2016, Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit has united governments, businesses, peoples and cultures in collaboration for change. For rewarding opportunities.

     Over the past 10 years, more than 45 000 people from over 120 countries and regions have participated in the Summit. Together, they have presented over 2 800 projects along the Belt and Road, shaping a shared vision through collaboration and connectivity, which are the fundamental values of the Belt and Road Initiative.

     Upholding that spirit, this year's Summit theme is "Collaborate for Change – Shape a Shared Future".

     To mark this 10th edition, we are introducing a new session on signature Belt and 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.

     Later this morning, we will witness the exchange of 9 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and co-operation agreements, between Hong Kong and Belt and Road countries, on official co-operation in dispute avoidance and resolution, customs, anti-corruption, meteorology, investment promotion, and more. These underline our commitment to the Belt and Road, to enabling co-operation and exchanges for mutual benefit. Also today, some 36 business-to-business agreements and deals will be announced, covering finance, technology, logistics, professional services and education.

     Thanks to projects and deals closed in recent days, their total value is now close to 1 billion US Dollars. And that's just the beginning. The beginning of another decade of business, of investment, and of co-operation.

Trade and investment

     Here in Hong Kong, when we talk business, we mean business. Hong Kong has long thrived as a free port dedicated to multilateralism.

     The HKSAR Government is rapidly expanding Hong Kong's global trade networks. We have signed free trade agreements with 14 Belt and Road countries, and investment agreements with about 20 Belt and Road economies, as well as Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements with 37 Belt and Road jurisdictions.

     Not surprisingly, our external trade with Belt and Road countries exceeded 276 billion US Dollars last year, up about 80 per cent since 2013, and three times the average growth rate of Hong Kong's overall merchandise trade over the same period. Some 1 400 companies from Belt and Road countries have established a base in Hong Kong to seize these opportunities.

     It helps that Hong Kong is one of the most prolific sources of foreign direct investment in the Belt and Road. In 2023, our outward direct investment in Belt and Road countries and regions was 133 billion US Dollars.

     That's 3.6 times of the amount in 2013 and four times that of Hong Kong's overall outward direct investment growth, a clear sign that global capital converges here and deploys globally.

     We invest as well as connect. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority established the Belt and Road HK Flagship Impact Fund with the Silk Road Fund Company, and initial capital totalling 1 billion US Dollars.

     Last year, our Monetary Authority signed a MoU with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund on a joint 1 billion-US Dollar fund. They will invest in companies with a Hong Kong nexus expanding to Saudi Arabia.

     Last week, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan issued a 2 billion Renminbi dim sum bond in Hong Kong, the first Renminbi bond issued by a government-owned entity from Central Asia.

     That underscores Hong Kong's position as a leading fund-raising hub for Belt and Road economies. That's why more than 100 Belt and Road companies are listed on the HKEX (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited), with more to come.

     And I believe it is important to reach out to our Belt and Road partners, in person, to let them know what Hong Kong can do for them – for you – whether in key events like this one, or in visiting their countries.

     Since assuming office three years ago, I have visited 12 Belt and Road countries. To most of them, I have led high-level business delegations from Hong Kong, witnessing some 160 MoUs, co-operation agreements and deliverables with the respective economies – many now in development.

     Just this May, I led a joint delegation of Mainland and Hong Kong companies to explore the markets of Qatar and Kuwait, my second visit to the Middle East region.

     Alongside numerous agreements reached during the trip, I'm pleased to note that one of the participants has chosen Hong Kong as its global hub and listed on the HKEX just last month.

     I also witnessed a MoU, less than two weeks ago, between Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment and our Belt and Road Office, part of its new signature project collaborations, working directly with governments.

     Major Belt and Road projects and events are turning to Hong Kong for global roadshows. They include the Future Investment Initiative PRIORITY Summit, in 2023, the recent Saudi Super Cup, and LEAP – one of the Middle East's largest tech expos, which chose Hong Kong for its first global edition, LEAP East, to be held next year.

     To support development in the Global South, we continue to expand our world-wide network of trade offices across partner countries.

     Our Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council work together to connect businesses and projects via Hong Kong.

     Through these networks, our Government ties now extend to some 130 countries, including about 100 Belt and Road countries.

Competitiveness

     To a world of investors, especially our friends from Belt and Road economies, Hong Kong offers a unique blend of professionalism and efficiency.

     Hong Kong has long shone as a resourceful and resilient economy, one of the world's most competitive in the many sectors and industries we commit to.

     That was once again borne out just three months ago, when the International Institute for Management Development put out its 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook. Hong Kong placed third, globally, up two places from last year.

     In "government efficiency" and "business efficiency", Hong Kong rose to second overall. And we topped the rankings in "tax policy" and "business legislation".

     Competitiveness is in Hong Kong's DNA. And central to that competitiveness, is our people, and our ability in nurturing them.

Talent

     In the IMD (International Institute for Management Development)'s annual World Talent Ranking, which came out just yesterday, Hong Kong rose to fourth, globally, up from ninth place last year and 16th place the year before. Moving up 12 places in two years, we have come to our highest-ever standing in the report, ranking number one in Asia.

     Overall, Hong Kong topped the ranking in the percentage of "graduates in sciences", and placed among the global top five in the availability of "finance skills", the "remuneration of management", and the effectiveness of "management education".

     Hong Kong's performance, the IMD report said, demonstrates that "targeted reforms and investment can result in significant gains in talent competitiveness over time", noting that Hong Kong attracts large numbers of inbound students from abroad, through our outstanding academic achievement. Indeed, Hong Kong is home to five of the world's top 100 universities, which cultivate multi-talented and enterprising young people for our dynamic city.

     And Hong Kong is committed to nurturing future generations from home and abroad. With the HKSAR Government's Belt and Road Scholarship and other programmes, more than 4 000 students from Belt and Road countries are enrolled in our tertiary programmes every year.

     This summer, some 400 students from Belt and Road countries were placed in summer internships here, strengthening our shared Belt and Road talent pool.

     Our targeted reforms on talent cover not only grooming our own, but also attracting a world of professionals to our world city. Since the end of 2022, our enhanced talent admission schemes have received more than 520 000 applications, with over 350 000 approved. More than 230 000 have arrived in Hong Kong over the period, boosting our talent pool and economic growth.

Connectivity

      And of course, Hong Kong also opens its doors wide to travellers who come to our city for business, leisure and more. Last year, Hong Kong welcomed more than 44 million visitors, fourth globally for visitor arrivals by city, winning the world’s best airport immigration service award. Our international airport is the world's busiest air cargo hub, handling 4.9 million tonnes of goods and about 45 per cent of Hong Kong's external trade last year.

     With the three-runway system now in operation, we expect up to 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo annually in about 10 years' time, with the enhanced capacity to support social and economic growth across Belt and Road countries.

      We have signed 80 bilateral civil aviation agreements and operate flights to some 60 Belt and Road destinations, strengthening our role along the Air Silk Road.

Green and sustainable innovation

     Hong Kong is committed to growth. We are also dedicated to sustainability, to ensuring a healthy development for all. As a green and sustainable innovation and finance hub, Hong Kong is working with Belt and Road partners to build a Green and Innovative Silk Road.

     We provide internationally recognised green building certification, with the flexibility to help countries adapt standards and access green finance. And, for seven consecutive years, Hong Kong has ranked first in Asia in the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged.

Systems

     Hong Kong's success as a premier functional platform for the Belt and Road rests on our unique "one country, two systems" framework.

     It allows Hong Kong to maintain a common law jurisdiction with a sophisticated legal sector, and a judiciary that exercises its powers independently, providing the safeguards that investors and projects demand.

     In May, government representatives of over 30 states, many of them from the Belt and Road, gathered in Hong Kong to sign the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation.

     The Organization will be headquartered here, in Hong Kong, as the world's first intergovernmental legal body dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation.

     The "one country, two systems" principle ensures that Hong Kong thrives as an east-meets-west centre for international cultural exchange. With programmes like the Asia+ Festival, which begins next week, we present myriad events showcasing the richness of Asia and Belt and Road regions.

     And the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which houses treasures from Beijing's Forbidden City, is now hosting masterpieces from Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. In two months' time, it will also showcase extraordinary collections from seven prominent museums in Egypt. That's just a taste of the cultural exchange, the creative dialogue, that Hong Kong delivers!

The Ideal Belt and Road Hub

      Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong is the ideal Belt and Road hub. As the only world city that converges both the China advantage and the global advantage, Hong Kong stands as the premier gateway for co-operation, bridging people, trade, business, education, culture and values across the region, connecting Asia and the world. We are a "super connector" and "super value-adder" for high-quality collaborations worldwide.

      Our "dual superpower" of connecting and value-adding means Hong Kong is more than a link between capital and projects. We also inject vigour, innovation and sustainability, adding strategic value to everything we do.

     Hong Kong will continue to drive high-quality development along the Belt and Road. That's our promise towards a brighter future. Together with you.

     My thanks to our Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Belt and Road Office and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for making this Summit such a flagship international event over the past decade. And, I'm confident, for many decades to come.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all a rewarding Summit, and a memorable stay in Hong Kong.

     Thank you.

Ends/Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Issued at HKT 10:14

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