Immigration and Business in Hong Kong: Carrie Lam, Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stated on August 5 that in response to the "five links" proposed under the "Belt and Road" initiative—namely policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds—Hong Kong can serve as a primary platform for fundraising and financing, trade and logistics facilitation, high-end professional services, diverse tourism, and emerging industries for the "Belt and Road."
She noted that the Hong Kong SAR government is currently working intensively to study various issues related to Hong Kong under the "Belt and Road" strategy, aiming to seize opportunities, leverage its strengths, and contribute to national development.
The "Belt and Road" and Hong Kong's Opportunities Summit was held in Hong Kong that day. In her address, Carrie Lam stated that the more than 60 countries along the "Belt and Road" are primarily emerging economies, which are highly complementary to Hong Kong and offer significant room for synergy. Hong Kong's four pillar industries with the greatest international competitive advantage—including finance, trade and logistics, high-end services, and tourism—as well as its emerging industries, such as innovation, technology, and creative industries, can all support the national "going global" and "bringing in" development strategies.
She stated that Hong Kong will continue to strengthen trade ties with markets along the "Belt and Road," promote high-level official visits, negotiate free trade agreements, and facilitate investment promotion and protection agreements to provide guarantees and convenience for business cooperation between Hong Kong and countries along the "Belt and Road." Currently, negotiations for a free trade agreement between Hong Kong and the ten ASEAN countries are progressing well, and it is hoped that an agreement can be reached next year. Hong Kong will also work with relevant provinces and cities in the Mainland to conduct joint roadshow activities in countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" to jointly promote trade and investment exchanges.
How should various industries in Hong Kong participate in the "Belt and Road"? K.C. Chan, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR, believes that Hong Kong only needs to focus on several advantages: strengthening external regional ties, utilizing Hong Kong's geographical and other conditions to act as a connector, and focusing on providing services for the "going global" needs of domestic enterprises, thereby strengthening Hong Kong's role as a regional hub.
K.C. Chan said that Hong Kong possesses professional talent in financing and asset management. In the future, when developing infrastructure project financing, he believes it can promote the development of bond markets in Asia and Hong Kong. Driven by the demand for bond financing, Hong Kong can attract international long-term investors, such as insurance companies and pension funds, to invest in the bond markets of Asia and Hong Kong. Financial institutions can also establish investment funds focused on infrastructure to perform financing and investment functions.
Li Jigang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Comprehensive Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, emphasized in his speech that from the perspective of national strategy, the construction of the "Belt and Road" cannot succeed without the active participation of Hong Kong. Hong Kong enterprises can strengthen cooperation with Mainland enterprises to jointly develop markets in countries along the "Belt and Road," particularly by leveraging their own advantages to provide specialized services such as financing, legal services, and engineering design.