Hong Kong: Bridging Business Opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative
Hong Kong's external trade with Belt and Road economies other than Mainland China has surged by almost 78 per cent (3.2 times the growth rate of Hong Kong's trade with all economies) between 2013 and 2024.
Tapping into this huge potential is a strong focus of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, including arranging outbound business missions to Belt and Road countries/regions as well as inviting global policymakers, business leaders, investors and academics to attend the annual flagship Belt and Road Summit in the city.
The HKSAR's Chief Executive John Lee has so far led high-level delegation visits to four of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, most recently Kuwait and Qatar, as well as six of the 10 Member States of ASEAN, which is Hong Kong's second largest trading partner.
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And, just last week, the Belt and Road Office (BRO) under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government led an infrastructure and construction mission to Indonesia and Malaysia (22-26 June 2025).
The Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, led a delegation to visit Indonesia and Malaysia last week.
These visits strengthen government-to-government relations, connect project owners with investors, and promote Hong Kong's unique advantages under 'one country, two systems', including the city's common law system and free flows of capital and talent. They also foster partnership opportunities by highlighting Hong Kong's professional services expertise in areas ranging from engineering, architecture and surveying to design, legal and financial services.
One such company is Hong Kong green technology start-up i2Cool, which has introduced its cooling systems to the United Arab Emirates, securing a deal to apply its i2Coating to the Dubai Mall's rooftop. This helped the shopping mall achieve a 20% reduction in air-conditioning energy consumption. During last week's mission to Indonesia and Malaysia, i2Cool signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with local partners.
Meanwhile, a Hong Kong firm is investing in a data centre in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, leveraging opportunities in digital infrastructure to contribute to the development of the Digital Silk Road in promoting connectivity. The Tier III hyperscale facility is capable of handling a huge amount of data safely and securely, with an initial 20MW IT load. Equipped with advanced security measures and round-the-clock monitoring and support, the data centre can promptly identify and resolve any potential problems, minimising downtime and optimising business productivity. The HKSAR Government and its Belt and Road Office helped to make the business connections with local partners through networking events. The project highlights Hong Kong's role as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' in influential deal-making.
Professional services thrive in Hong Kong, thanks to the city's robust legal system and the rule of law. Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China, which means that the legal regime in the business realm resembles that of many major global financial centres.
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As such, the newly established International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) will have its headquarters in Hong Kong. IOMed will become the world's first intergovernmental international legal organisation dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation. It will provide a pathway for countries along the B&RI and beyond – regardless of culture, language and legal system – to resolve international disputes based on mutual respect and understanding.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong is gearing up to host the 10th edition of the Belt and Road Summit in September (10-11 September, 2025). The Summit gathers senior government officials and business leaders from countries and regions along and beyond the Belt and Road to exchange insights on multilateral co-operation and explore concrete business opportunities.
Thousands of policymakers, business leaders, investors and academics attend the annual Belt and Road Summit.
Last year's summit welcomed more than 6,000 attendees from around the world, including over 90 high-profile speakers. The event also arranged over 800 one-to-one business matching meetings and featured over 110 exhibitors, creating business opportunities throughout the Belt and Road regions.
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