28 June 2018 – IMPEX was proud to participate in the Australian trade and investment delegation for the the third Belt and Road Summit, jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), welcomed some 5,000 participants from 55 countries and regions at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 80 government and business leaders from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and countries around the world shared their insights on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the new opportunities presented to different industries. In addition, governments and companies of several Belt and Road countries signed agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to implement cooperation plans. The HKTDC also arranged Project Pitching sessions and close to 500 One-to-one Business Matching Meetings for participants to foster concrete cooperation and realise the Summit’s theme of “Collaborate for Success”.
At the opening session, Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, delivered the opening remarks. Xiao Yaqing, Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the People’s Republic of China; Ning Jizhe, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, the People’s Republic of China; and Gao Yan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China, delivered special addresses. Dr Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, gave the keynote speech and shared how the Belt and Road Initiative drove the steady growth of the global economy and how Thailand and other ASEAN countries could get involved.
In his welcome remarks, Vincent HS Lo, Chairman of the HKTDC, said: “In just four and a half years, the Initiative has achieved significant progress. New projects such as railways and roads, ports and power plants have begun in numerous countries around the world. At the same time, new opportunities are opening up, as the Initiative goes beyond infrastructure to technology, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, tourism and many others. For something as far-reaching in scope and global in scale as the Belt and Road, we must find the right partners to make the right choices. As the commercial hub for the Belt and Road, Hong Kong is the best place to turn Belt and Road concepts into viable commercial ventures.”
A milestone for Hong Kong-Georgia economic and trade cooperation Hong Kong and Georgia signed a free trade agreement (FTA) at the Summit. Georgia is located along the Silk Road Economic Belt of the Belt and Road and is a logistics and transhipment corridor to the Caucasus and Central Asia. The railway linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey began operation last year, further strengthening Georgia’s role as a transportation hub connecting Europe and Asia. More transportation and infrastructure projects will be started in Georgia in the future, creating a keen demand for investment and professional services.