Belt and Road Summit opens Wednesday with Central Asia push
Thestandard · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s two-day Belt and Road Summit is set to begin on Wednesday, September 9, with organisers placing fresh emphasis on Central Asian markets while maintaining established outreach to ASEAN and the Middle East. The event is expected to draw about 6,000 participants, with officials and market operators using it to promote cross-regional business links, professional services and fundraising opportunities in Hong Kong.
Key Points
- Commissioner for Belt and Road Nicholas Ho Lik-chi said the summit will run for two days from Wednesday, September 9, in Hong Kong.
- Ho said this year’s agenda adds a strategic push into Central Asia alongside traditional focuses on ASEAN and the Middle East.
- Political and business leaders from North Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Africa and Latin America have been invited, with attendance expected at roughly 6,000.
- Ho said Hong Kong’s total merchandise trade with Belt and Road partner countries increased 17 percent between 2024 and 2025.
- The summit will debut a Go Global Chapter, plus new Central Asia and Middle East chapters, while HKEX seeks quality Belt and Road listings.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong, the summit is being used not only as a diplomatic and commercial networking platform, but also as a way to channel overseas companies toward the city’s professional services and capital markets. HKEX’s emphasis on attracting high-quality issuers suggests the authorities want Belt and Road engagement to translate into more substantive fundraising and business activity rather than headline participation alone.