International Summit on New Silk Road in Hong Kong
Over the past 10 years, Hong Kong's foreign trade with China's partner countries under the New Silk Road Initiative has grown by nearly 60 percent
The proceedings of the ninth international summit on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), commonly known as the New Silk Road, opened on Wednesday, September 11, in Hong Kong. This year’s forum is attended by about 6000 participants from nearly 70 countries and regions of the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
“Building a Connected, Innovative, and Green New Silk Road” is at the center of discussions at the forum, which will last two days. In this context, some sessions will focus on building sustainable infrastructure, financing environmental projects, multidimensional connectivity, sustainable development, and combating climate change.
In his opening speech at the forum, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee emphasized that “Hong Kong’s strategic position as a link between China and the rest of the world allows the territory to play a fundamental role in implementing the goal of this visionary initiative” and to act as a facilitator of exchange.
Over the past 10 years, Hong Kong’s foreign trade with China’s partner countries, under the initiative launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013, has grown by nearly 60 percent. For his part, China’s Vice Minister of International Trade Li Yongjie said the Chinese government “will further expand Hong Kong’s New Silk Road space” to promote the interconnection between Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America in a trade network centered on China.
