Hong Kong Foundation Leads Top Medical Experts to Astana for Belt and Road Health Cooperation
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
The Chain for Change Foundation, a Hong Kong-based charitable organization, led a delegation of 15 top medical experts to Astana, Kazakhstan for a major international symposium on medical cooperation. Foundation Chairman Leung Chun-ying addressed the opening ceremony, recalling how President Xi Jinping's 2013 speech at Nazarbayev University inspired the foundation's establishment and mission. Kazakhstan's Deputy Health Minister Timur Slamzhanovich Sultan Gaziyev expressed hopes for broad collaboration in public health, talent training, and scientific research. The event at Nazarbayev University builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between the foundation and the university in November 2025. Experts from Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and other regions exchanged views on clinical innovation, medical education, vector-borne diseases, and disaster preparedness.
Key Points
- The symposium featured 15 medical experts from Hong Kong and abroad, covering topics including clinical technology, medical system management, traditional medicine, vector-borne diseases, disaster response, and medical education .
- Chain for Change Foundation and Nazarbayev University signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2025 to establish foundations for professional exchange, joint activities, internships, and research .
- Deputy Health Minister Sultan Gaziyev of Kazakhstan praised the foundation's extensive experience in healthcare and humanitarian projects across multiple countries .
- Foundation Chairman Leung highlighted that the Belt and Road People's-to-people Connectivity concept, proposed by President Xi in 2013, directly inspired the foundation's creation .
- Notable Hong Kong participants included CUHK President Lo Yuk-ming, Medical School Dean Francis Chan, and former Health Secretary Ko Wing-man, alongside representatives from HKU and City University .
Why It Matters
The symposium positions Hong Kong as a bridge for medical expertise exchange between China and Central Asian nations, strengthening the city's role in the Belt and Road People's-to-people Connectivity initiative. For Hong Kong's medical professionals, this creates pathways for international collaboration, research partnerships, and knowledge sharing that could benefit local healthcare development. The conference also demonstrates how Hong Kong's soft power through charitable and humanitarian work can contribute to national diplomatic objectives while building valuable networks across the Eurasian continent .
The symposium positions Hong Kong as a bridge for medical expertise exchange between China and Central Asian nations, strengthening the city's role in the Belt and Road People's-to-people Connectivity initiative. For Hong Kong's medical professionals, this creates pathways for international collaboration, research partnerships, and knowledge sharing that could benefit local healthcare development. The conference also demonstrates how Hong Kong's soft power through charitable and humanitarian work can contribute to national diplomatic objectives while building valuable networks across the Eurasian continent .