From September 13 to 14, 2023, the 8th Belt and Road Forum, co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, was successfully held in Hong Kong. Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of The State Council, attended the opening ceremony of the Forum by video and delivered a keynote speech. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Li Ka-chao, attended and delivered a speech. Entrusted by Xia Baolong, Director of The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Zheng Yanxiong, Deputy Director of The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Hong Kong attended and delivered a speech.

 Over the past decade, China has followed the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, pursued an open, green and clean approach, and worked hard to achieve the goals of high standards, sustainability and well-being of the people. The Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results. The Belt and Road Initiative has led China to open up to the outside world at a higher level, promoted common development and prosperity of all countries, and contributed Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. It has become a well-received international public good and a platform for international cooperation.

Ding Xuexiang said that the Central Government supports Hong Kong to maintain its unique status and advantages in the long term, consolidate its position as an international financial, shipping and trade center, maintain a free, open and standardized business environment, maintain the common law system, expand smooth and convenient international contacts, and play a more important role in jointly building the Belt and Road. It is hoped that Hong Kong will deepen regional cooperation, expand its economic and trade network, and carry out closer exchanges and cooperation with other parts of the world. Improve financial services, smooth financing channels, and better meet the diversified financing needs of the Belt and Road construction; Focus on professional services, give play to talent advantages, and promote the improvement of the Belt and Road rules and standards of soft connectivity; We will deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, promote people-to-people bonds, and consolidate public support for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Group photo of the Central Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong

The 2023 Forum, with the theme of building win-win cooperation for 10 years, attracted more than 6,000 government officials, business leaders, entrepreneurs and start-ups from 70 countries and regions. Vice Minister of Commerce Guo Tingting, Deputy Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council Gou Ping, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission Xiao Weiming and other officials delivered speeches respectively. Director of Strategic Planning and Reform of Kazakhstan Ilgaliyev, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Coordination of Indonesia Lukman, Minister of Economic Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Mali, Minister of International Cooperation of Egypt Masat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Kadir, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Szijjarto, Secretary General of ASEAN Gao Kanhua, Chairman of Oman's National Investment and Export Development Program Shuaibi, Qatar's Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Al-Khatr, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment Al-Falih and other foreign dignitaries attended the meeting.

Hong Kong is a participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative

In his opening speech, Li Ka-chao, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said that Hong Kong is an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Li Jiachao mentioned that the BRF is an important international business platform to promote the Belt and Road cooperation. 

In February 2023, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council organized a delegation to the Middle East. As an extension of the results of the visit, the Forum added a special session on the Middle East. Yau Ying-hua, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said earlier: In the future, we will strengthen the development of emerging markets in the Middle East, Central Asia, Central Europe and other areas, promote Hong Kong's professional service advantages in many fields such as trade and investment, promote the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and expand and jointly build the high-quality development of the Belt and Road.

Li Jiachao also posted on the social platform on the 13th that there are three new arrangements for this summit forum, including the first time that there is a special session on the Middle East, focusing on new opportunities, new development and new cooperation in the Middle East market; For the first time, a finance chapter will be included to promote the BRI's vision of financial services, innovation, technology and sustainable development; And for the first time, there is a special chapter on youth to promote cultural and youth exchanges.

Kazakhstan's trade minister met with Li Jiachao and proposed to resume direct flights and extend the visa exemption to 30 days

It is reported that Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shaharayv met with Li Jiachao, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, in Hong Kong. The two sides discussed topics related to deepening economic and trade cooperation.

Developing relations with China has always been one of the priorities of Kazakhstan's foreign policy. We attach great importance to developing economic, trade and investment cooperation with Hong Kong. We have been providing a favorable environment for foreign investment. Kazakhstan has great potential in developing the field of organic production and we are willing to supply agricultural and food products to the Hong Kong market. "Shaharayev said.

Stressing that Hong Kong is one of the world's largest e-commerce markets, he said Kazakhstan is actively exploring the international market to promote the export of finished products. Including the opening of the National Pavilion on Alibaba's e-commerce platform, the sale of more than 5,000 kinds of Kazakh goods, with a total value of more than 225 million US dollars. In addition, Kazakhstan opened its national pavilion on JD.com's e-commerce platform in May 2023. He also mentioned that Kazakhstan is in talks with large Chinese companies such as General Technology, Huawei and Xinxing to develop e-commerce and expects to cooperate with Hong Kong in this field.

In addition, Kazakhstan proposed to resume direct flights and extend the validity period of visa-free measures between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong from 14 days to 30 days in order to promote the development of tourism. At the end of the meeting, Shaharaev, on behalf of the Kazakh government, invited Li Jiachao to visit Kazakhstan. Editor/GaoLiMei