11th Belt and Road Summit Kicks Off, Fostering Global Cooperation and Innovation

2026-09-09 22:33 Last Updated At：22:48

Belt and Road Summit explores new business opportunities and advances high-quality development

The 11th Belt and Road Summit, which opened today (September 9) and runs for two days, brings together over 6 000 participants, including over 100 government and business speakers, as well as over 100 delegations. More than 60 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) will be witnessed during the Summit, exploring opportunities of co-operation for mutually beneficial development. A number of senior government officials from different Belt and Road countries also gathered at the Summit, reflecting a shared aspiration to enhancing co-operation.

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Belt and Road Summit explores new business opportunities and advances high-quality development Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Belt and Road Summit explores new business opportunities and advances high-quality development Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hosted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) since 2016, the Summit is a premier business and investment platform for Hong Kong's participation in and contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Under the theme "Advancing High-quality Development • Embarking on a New Journey", the 11th Summit aims to foster high-quality, sustainable and innovative development.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, delivered remarks at the opening session. The Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, the Vice President of Uruguay, Ms Carolina Cosse, and Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Mr Saleumxay Kommasith, gave special addresses. Vice Minister of Commerce Mr Yan Dong, and Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council Mr Li Zhen also delivered speeches.

Mr Lee said the BRI is a shared blueprint for the future, rooted in a rich history of cross-cultural collaboration. Hong Kong, as a place where East meets West, is where capital, talent, businesses and opportunities converge.

"In addition to strengthening our relations with traditional partners, Hong Kong continues to expand our network of friends along the Belt and Road," Mr Lee said. "I have led high-level business delegations to explore opportunities in 13 Belt and Road countries across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Middle East and Central Asia, focusing on specific areas to explore new markets. These missions delivered over 250 MOUs and other agreements, from policy co-ordination and trade and investment, to expanded connectivity and support for companies. They underline Hong Kong's long-standing focus on opening new markets, forming new partnerships and advancing regional co-operation." Mr Lee said.

Mr Lee said the achievements from his visits demonstrate the value of a hub-to-hub co-operation model, where Hong Kong can serve as Belt and Road economies' gateway to the Chinese Mainland and global markets and the economies can connect Hong Kong with relevant regions. This inter-connected network of hubs will amplify regional strengths through enhanced connectivity and unleash fresh opportunities.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, delivered welcoming remarks at the keynote luncheon, where the Secretary-General of theASEAN,Dr Kao Kim-hourn was the keynote speaker. Mr Chan said ASEAN had consistently outpaced the global economy and was becoming an increasingly important partner in technological advancement and industrial upgrading. Two-way trade between China and ASEAN surpassed US$1 trillion last year, reflecting the reshaping of industrial chains across the region.

ASEAN's demographic, market and technology dividends offer growth opportunities through its young population, expanding middle class, trade agreements and artificial intelligence (AI). Turning these advantages into sustained growth requires patient capital, open, well-regulated testing grounds and a strong talent base. Hong Kong can connect global investors with innovative companies, drawing on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's frontier research, advanced manufacturing and substantial consumer market. The Northern Metropolis will facilitate the flow of technology, talent and capital, strengthening connections between research, commercial application and production to foster shared prosperity across the region.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, gave welcome remarks at a thematic breakout session titled "Hong Kong: Super ConnectorWorld-class Springboard – Professional Services Empowering Global Expansion". He highlighted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly supports Hong Kong in leveraging its strength in professional services to assist enterprises to go global. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, and pursuant to the Basic Law, Hong Kong has unique legal, financial and other systems which are highly international in nature. Hong Kong serves not only as a "super connector" between the Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world but also a "super value-adder".

He said that Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction in China, and the world's only bilingual common law jurisdiction using both Chinese and English. Hong Kong's business law is consistent with prevailing international standards and practice, remaining one of the best options as the governing law for international transactions. Hong Kong have concluded mutual legal assistance arrangements with the Mainland in civil and commercial matters. The arbitration ecosystem in Hong Kong is equally world-renowned, and they city is the second most preferred arbitral seat in the world, and the most preferred arbitral seat in Asia Pacific. Together with the headquarters of the International Organization for Mediation, which is dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, established in Hong Kong, all these reinforce the city's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre.

The internationalised, high quality and reputable legal and dispute resolution services provided by Hong Kong's legal professionals can undoubtedly assist in safeguarding the interests of enterprises involved in the BRI to go global effectively and efficiently, Mr Lam added.

The First Deputy Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan, Mr Umiraliyev Zhandos Zhanibekovich, also spoke at the session, highlighting the importance and cross-regional nature of professional services.

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, chaired the policy dialogue on "Building Resilient Trade and Investment Frameworks in a Diverse Global Landscape" at which he discussed with other participating ministers on how to address pressing economic challenges. He highlighted that Hong Kong is steadfast to promote trade for the benefit of all, through upholding a rules-based multilateral trading system, implementing transparent and non-discriminatory regulations, and facilitating customs and digital interoperability. Mr Yau will give opening remarks in a thematic breakout session titled "Chinese Mainland Enterprises Going Global: Driving Mutual Growth Across Belt and Road Economies" tomorrow.

The Summit witnessed seven MOUs between the HKSAR Government and their overseas counterparts to promote bilateral co-operation and exchanges, covering the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Belt and Road Office, Invest Hong Kong and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, with Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Thailand, Türkiye, Zimbabwe, and Uzbekistan. The Summit also witnessed around 55 other MOUs in various areas. The total value of these MOUs, together with new projects and deals finalised before and during the Summit, is over US$3.1 billion.

The Summit bough together business leaders to discuss how to foster co-operation for a more prosperous and connected future, covering a wide range of areas including trade and commerce, legal services, green technology, logistics, AI and new quality productive forces. The Summit will open with a special address session by the Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation, Professor Teresa Cheng on the second day. Debuting this year is a Think Tank Dialogue to promote exchanges with experts and scholars. Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will give keynote speech in a thematic session on aligning Hong Kong's low-altitude economy with the BRI.

A roundtable session with the theme of "Innovative and Health Silk Road: Collaborating for a Better Future" was held today to share Hong Kong's experience of promoting AIadoption and public health, thereby fostering development for a more prosperous future through knowledge exchange. And, there are two Belt and Road signature projects sessions featuring development projects in Kazakhstan and Türkiye respectively to facilitate deal matching.

This year's Summit assembles local universities to showcase their research and development outcomes and talent advantages, consolidating Hong Kong's position as an international education hub. To encourage youth to learn more about the latest Belt and Road developments and opportunities, over 300 Belt and Road Scholarship recipients, local university students, Youth Link members and Youth Development Commission Youth Ambassadors were invited to attend the year'sSummit. A session on dialogue with youth business leaders will also be held tomorrow to share their experience of entrepreneurship and spotlight Hong Kong's unique advantages as an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Building Firms Charged with 259 Offences After Fatal Wang Fuk Court Fire

Buildings Department instigates prosecutions in relation to repair works associated with Wang Fuk Court fire incident in Tai Po

The Buildings Department (BD) today (September 9) laid charges with a total of 259 offences against four persons and two companies in connection with the major building repair works at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, where a fire broke out on November 26 last year. The charges include allegedly permitting or authorizing to be used in the carrying out of building works materials which are defective or do not comply with the provisions of the Buildings Ordinance (BO), permitting or authorizing the carrying out of building works and the inspection or works have been carried out in a manner that causes injury to any person or damage to any property, failing to properly supervise repair works and the like.

"Following the fire at Wang Fuk Court, the BD and the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) of the Housing Bureau have been sparing no effort in conducting investigation into the major repair works at the estate. The findings revealed that the registered inspector employed by the works consultancy firm had failed to properly supervise the prescribed repair works and failed to ensure that the building was safe or had been rendered safe. Moreover, during the course of the works, the main contractor and the works consultancy firm allegedly permitted or authorized the use of non-fire-retardant scaffold nets and canvases, and non-fire-retardant foam boards to block windows, as well as the removal of windows at the escape staircases to create openings for access, which were covered with non-fire-retardant materials. These caused the fire to spread rapidly and obstructed the means of escape, ultimately resulting in 168 deaths and 79 injuries," a spokesman for the BD said.

The two companies charged are the works consultancy firm, Will Power Architects Company Limited (Will Power), and the main contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, Limited (Prestige), involved in Wang Fuk Court's major building repair works. The four individuals charged include the director of Will Power, Wong Hap-yin, and the registered inspector employed by the company, Ng Yeuk; and the two directors of Prestige, Hau Wa-kin and Ho Kin-yip.

Wang Fuk Court is a Home Ownership Scheme estate and is regulated by the ICU of the Housing Bureau with the authority delegated under the BO. Based on the findings of the irregularities by the ICU and after seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the BD has charged a total of 259 offences against the two companies and the four persons under sections 40(2A)(a)(i), 40(2B), 40(2AE) and 40(2AF) of the BO.

The BD once again reminded contractors and relevant building works practitioners to properly supervise inspections and building works in accordance with the BO and its subsidiary regulations and the relevant Codes of Practice to ensure suitable materials are used and that the works are carried out safely.

"Following the fire at Wang Fuk Court, the BD has stepped up regulation, inspection, and enforcement. Specific measures include issuing Practice Note for Registered Contractors 85 to require recognised test reports with results that meet the fire retardant performance standards prior to installation of scaffold nets, conducting audit checks; issuing circular letters to all registered contractors and registered professionals reiterating the need for full compliance with fire safety requirements, including installing fire-retardant scaffold nets that meet recognised standards, ensuring that windows are not covered and combustible materials must not be installed. The BD has also launched a special operation to inspect scaffold nets and fire safety measures at about 400 buildings undergoing large scale repair works across the territory. The BD has also put in place a measure of conducting surprise inspections of all sites of major building repair works at least once every six months. Furthermore, the Development Bureau plans to submit a bill to the Legislative Council by the end of this year to amend the BO, which will include strengthening the regulation of and increasing penalties in relation to major building repair works, as well as tightening the registration and disciplinary regimes for building professionals and contractors." the spokesman said.

The BD removed Prestige from the register of general building contractors in February 2026 in accordance with the BO, after being notified by Prestige early this year that the company had ceased to be a registered general building contractor. The removal does not absolve the company and the relevant parties of criminal liability under the BO and other legal liabilities. Moreover, regardless of whether the registered building professionals concerned are convicted, the BD will refer the case to the relevant disciplinary boards for consideration of disciplinary sanction.

In accordance with section 40(2A)(a)(i) of the BO, any person directly concerned with minor works who permits or authorizes to be incorporated in or used in the carrying out of works any materials which are defective or do not comply with the provisions of the BO commits an offence. In accordance with section 40(2B), any person who carries out or authorizes or permits minor works to be carried out, in such a manner that it causes injury to any person or damage to any property, shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $500,000 and to imprisonment for up to 18 months.

In accordance with section 40(2AE), any registered inspector who fails to provide proper supervision of the carrying out of the prescribed repair that is minor works commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $150,000. In accordance with section 40(2AF), any registered inspector or registered general building contractor who fails to ensure that the building, for which they are appointed to supervise or carry out the prescribed repair that is minor works, is safe, or has been rendered safe commits an offence, and is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $500,000 and to imprisonment for up to 18 months.

11th Belt and Road Summit Kicks Off, Fostering Global Cooperation and Innovation