John Lee Meets Officials After Belt and Road Dinner
Bastillepost · 5 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hosted a government dinner on September 8 to welcome guests from the mainland and Belt and Road-related countries and regions ahead of the summit’s opening on September 9. He said the forum has grown over the past decade into a premier exchange platform, attracting more than 45,000 officials and business leaders from over 120 Belt and Road countries and regions and facilitating more than 3,100 cooperation projects worldwide. On September 9, Lee held meetings in Hong Kong with senior officials from Uzbekistan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Uruguay and Qatar, using the summit to push for deeper trade, investment and professional-services links. Separately, Hong Kong Customs joined the two-day forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with a booth on trade facilitation and “smart customs” measures
Key Points
- Lee said Hong Kong would remain an active participant, contributor and beneficiary in Belt and Road cooperation under “one country, two systems”.
- In talks with Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Lee said Hong Kong’s first five-year plan would be released this month.
- Lee said Hong Kong could support Uzbekistan with trade and professional services, strengthening both sides as Asia-Pacific and Central Asia gateway economies
- Meeting Qatari minister Ahmad, Lee said Hong Kong backs free trade and multilateralism and offers investors a market without capital controls
- Hong Kong Customs showcased seven trade-facilitation programmes at the September 9-10 forum, including AEO, Single Window and cross-boundary clearance schemes
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong, the summit is being used not only as a diplomatic gathering but also as a platform to convert official contacts into trade, logistics and investment opportunities. Lee’s meetings with Central Asian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern officials point to a continued push to widen Hong Kong’s commercial network beyond traditional markets while reinforcing its intermediary role under the Belt and Road framework.