The central government has pledged that Hong Kong will play a bigger part in the Belt and Road Initiative, with mainland Chinese officials throwing their weight behind the city’s “irreplaceable” role in financial and professional services at a high-level conference.
Beijing made the assurance at the opening of the Belt and Road Summit at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, where the newly appointed deputy prime minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Hoa Binh, also called on city authorities to promote two-way tourism and business links with his country.
Li Yongjie, China’s deputy international trade representative, said in opening remarks that the Ministry of Commerce would further “expand the space” for Hong Kong to participate in joint developments in the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s push to link economies across Asia, Europe, Africa and South America into a China-centred trade network.
