Belt and Road Summit to kick off Wed with focus on Central Asia

The two-day Belt and Road Summit will open on Wednesday (Sep 9), featuring a strategic push into Central Asian markets alongside traditional focuses on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East.

Commissioner for Belt and Road Nicholas Ho Lik-chi said the summit has invited political and business leaders from North Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America, expecting roughly 6,000 attendees, a figure similar to previous editions.

Ho noted that total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and Belt and Road partner countries grew by 17 percent between 2024 and 2025, highlighting massive potential for deeper cooperation. He added that government and business delegations will continue to visit relevant regions in the coming months to help enterprises identify opportunities firsthand.

This year’s Summit will also introduce a dedicated Go Global Chapter, featuring thematic breakout sessions focusing on go global opportunities and Hong Kong’s professional services strengths.

Apart from that, the Central Asia Chapter and Middle East Chapter will also be introduced to focus on expanding international markets, deepening cross-regional cooperation and advancing high-quality development.

Johnson Chui, head of global issuer services at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), said the bourse is actively working to attract high-quality companies from Belt and Road nations to raise capital in Hong Kong, emphasizing quality over quantity rather than setting numerical targets.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓