□ Article/Journalist Zeng Rui Translator/Wei Mingliang

On-site communication session of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Photo provided by Hong Kong Trade Development Council

As one of the most important global financial centers and shipping centers, Hong Kong plays an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative. It is common to see that the Belt and Road Forum held in Hong Kong attracts the eyes from all over the world. Li Jing, member of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal Committee and minister of the United Front Work Department, was invited to Hong Kong to attend the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum together with the personnelof the relevant municipal departments during June 27th to 29th. This forum was themed as“the Allround Cooperation”, with 5,000 participants from 55 countries and regions.More than 80 Chinese and overseas officials and business leaders shared the latest development informationabout the Belt and Road initiative at the forum and launched new opportunities for different industries and sectors. Shi Quanbo,deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Committee United Front Work Department and secretary of the Party Committee of the Overseas Chinese Federation, Song Gang, deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Commerce Commission, Jiang Weining,deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Cultural Commission,Zhang Yaxi, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal Government, and Qin Dingbo,deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Tourism Development Commission, all participated in relevant activities.

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stressed that as the world’s most free economy and the most international city in China, Hong Kong boasts abundant floating capital and global financial talents. It will have an important role to play in the Belt and Road initiative.Mr.Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, gave a keynote speech to share with the guests about the value of the“Belt and Road Initiative” as a new impetus for steady growth of the global economy and how Thailand and other ASEAN countries have been actively involved in it.

During the forum, Li Jing, member of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal Committee and minister of the United Front Work Department, and Zhou Qiliang, vice president of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, exchanged views on promoting cooperation between the two sides in the exhibition industry, finance, trade and tourism. They both hope that Chongqing can take Hong Kong as an international platform to organize food enterprises to exhibit in Hong Kong, promoting Chongqing and Chongqing cuisine to the whole world. We will promote and spread the profound Chongqing culture and rich tourism resources to the outside through such exciting platforms provided by Hong Kong as the Belt and Road Forum, Hong Kong International Licensing Exhibition, Hong Kong International Book Fair, Hong Kong Film and Television Exhibition.

On the afternoon of June 28th, the “Chongqing State-owned Enterprises and Hong Kong Financial Institutions Cooperation Promotion Conference” was held in Hong Kong.The heads of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, Chongqing State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and Chongqing Foreign Economic and Trade Group introduced the construction of the inland opening-up highland, the economic and trade environment, the reform and development of Chongqing state-owned enterprises and Chongqing Foreign Economic and Trade Group. The relevant leaders of BOC Hong Kong Industrial and Commercial Finance Department, ICBC Asia,Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (Hong Kong Branch) and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. also exchanged views on promoting financial cooperation between Chongqing and Hong Kong.

Luo Kangrui, chairman of Hong Kong Trade Development Council, believes that Hong Kong, a city linking the Belt and Road with global talents and capital, can be the best partner to transform the “Belt and Road” concept into a viable commercial project, and also can be the best destination forthe Belt and Road financial management.

Zhou Hong, representative of office in Chongqing of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, believes that strengthening cooperation between Chongqing, Hong Kong and Macao is of great significance to them all. It can promoting these three places to play a bigger role in advancing the Belts and Road initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt Strategy.