Belt & Road – from Vision to Action
In the above-mentioned Policy Address, Mrs Carrie Lam assured that the HKSAR Government will strive to give full play to Hong Kong’s role as a gateway to the Mainland of China under the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative and capitalise on the opportunities therein.
At the second Belt and Road Summit hosted by Hong Kong on 11 September 2017, policymakers and project owners from B&R countries were amongst the over 3 000 participants who pulled their brains together to turn a new page together in advancement. From Central and Eastern Europe, Mr Peter Kažimír, Finance Minister of Slovakia and Ms Justyna Skrzydło, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Construction of Poland attended the Summit to discuss the B&R Initiative’s latest developments and to examine opportunities for different sectors.
At the panel “Investing in Belt and Road: Dialogue with Policymakers”, Ms Justyna Skrzydlo of Poland introduced her country’s policy landscape as well as infrastructure investment opportunities and needs. Poland’s geographic location makes the country one of the key economies in Europe along the modern Silk Road on the way to Asia with the railway link between Lodz and Chengdu setting a solid foundation.
The Summit is also a platform for business matching. More than 170 investment projects were there to seek investors and related service providers. To this end, the Summit has set aside room for project presentations, one-on-one business-matching meetings and an exhibition area that showcased various professional services offered by Hong Kong – proving the evolvement of the Initiative from a strategic vision to concrete action.
To sustain the momentum of the Summit, HKETO Berlin continues to reach out to the B&R countries in Central and Eastern Europe. To introduce the unique opportunities Hong Kong has to offer to Hungarian businesses and lawyers under B&R, HKETO Berlin, together with the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hungarian Bar Association and the Budapest Bar Association, organised a business and legal conference in Budapest on 19 September. Among the speakers were Mr Stephen Philips, Director-General of Investment Promotion of the HKSAR who highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages and strengths, as well as Mr Amirali Nasir, Vice President of the Law Society of Hong Kong who introduced the business regulations in Hong Kong to the Hungarian audience.
To help identify prospects for Polish businesses under B&R, HKETO Berlin joined the 10th European Economic Forum hosted in Lodz of Poland from 16 to 17 October. Our Director Ms Betty Ho introduced the B&R Initiative as a development strategy aiming at improving connectivity and co-operation between Asian and European economies. Other speakers at the panel discussion included Mr Witold Stępień, Marshall of the Lodz Voivodeship, and Mr Tadeusz Chomicki, Ambassador Titular from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Apart from business and infrastructure development, people-to-people bonds are also an essential aspect of the Initiative. In early October, HKETO Berlin supported the Hong Kong Young Leaders Development Association (HKYLDA) to visit Budapest of Hungary and Warsaw of Poland to enhance the understanding of these two countries amongst youngsters from Hong Kong. The visit of some 20 youths was financially supported by the “Funding Scheme for Exchange in Belt and Road Countries” of the HKSAR Government. Meetings with the Ambassadors of the People’s Republic of China and the Mayor’s Offices were arranged. In Budapest, an event titled “Belt and Road: Hong Kong and Hungary Hand in Hand Dialogue of the Next Generations” was co-organised by HKETO Berlin and Pázmány East Asia Club Hungary (PEACH) to bring together the youths of HKYLDA and PEACH, and foster cultural exchange and strengthen bonds between young people of both regions.
As highlighted by Mrs Carrie Lam in her Policy Address, the HKSAR Government continues to fully support the B&R Initiative. Hong Kong enjoys unique, dual advantages. Being part of China but with its own economic, social and legal systems, the city has strong expertise in finance, risk assessment, legal and other professions, and at the same time is a global open market that allows free flow of capital, goods and information. For more information, please click here.