Hong Kong Business and Economic Affairs Bureau: Planning to host "Belt and Road Cross-disciplinary Forum" next year to promote Hong Kong professional services.

On November 20, Dr. Chen Baili, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Bureau, responded to questions from legislators at the Legislative Council meeting. He said that next year, the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Bureau plans to hold a "Belt and Road Cross-professional Forum" to engage in high-level exchanges with professionals in Hong Kong. The focus will be on exploring cooperation opportunities in new areas, including green development and innovative technology, to promote professional services in Hong Kong. At the same time, the Belt and Road Office will explore the feasibility of establishing a Belt and Road capacity building center to connect various platforms created in Hong Kong in cooperation with Belt and Road countries and regions, leveraging Hong Kong's diverse professional capabilities to lay the foundation for future economic development opportunities and cooperation spaces. Chen Baili stated that the Hong Kong government is committed to strengthening Hong Kong as a functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative and playing the role of a "super connector" and "super value-added person" to assist Hong Kong companies and professional services in expanding Belt and Road business opportunities. The Belt and Road Summit, organized by the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Bureau and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, has been recognized by the country as a major practical case for co-building the Belt and Road Initiative. The ninth summit held in September this year attracted approximately 6,000 government and business leaders and corporate representatives from over 70 Belt and Road countries and regions, with over 800 one-on-one investment project matching meetings covering more than 280 projects to facilitate business opportunities for Hong Kong companies to connect with companies from the mainland and Belt and Road countries. He mentioned that in late July this year, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a delegation to visit Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to strengthen cooperation between Hong Kong and ASEAN in various aspects, signing 55 cooperation memoranda and agreements. In addition, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po led a delegation of financial and technology sector representatives to visit Saudi Arabia in October to strengthen and deepen ties between Hong Kong and the Middle East in economic, trade, financial, and technology sectors. The Belt and Road office under the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Bureau also led a trade delegation with the Ministry of Commerce in May to visit Hungary and Kazakhstan, and on the return journey stopped in Xinjiang to promote Hong Kong's cooperation with mainland enterprises in the Belt and Road market.