STORY: Hong Kong's Belt and Road summit to set up Middle East forum
DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:10
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the press conference on Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit
2. SOUNDBITE (Cantonese): ALGERNON YAU, Secretary for commerce and economic development of the HKSAR government
3. various of Peter K N Lam, chairman of the HKTDC

STORYLINE:

The eighth edition of Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit will be held on Sept. 13-14, featuring a new Middle East forum, the organizer said in Hong Kong Thursday.

The annual summit, under the theme Prospering on a Decade of Collaboration this year, is jointly organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Some 80 government officials and business leaders from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, as well as project owners and investors, will gather to share their Belt and Road experience over the past 10 years and explore investment and business opportunities.

The summit features discussion sessions and exchange, including business plenary, thematic breakout sessions and project pitching sessions. The new Middle East forum will feature business and investment outlook in the Middle East market.

SOUNDBITE (Cantonese): ALGERNON YAU, Secretary for commerce and economic development of the HKSAR government
"This year's Belt and Road Summit is of great significance as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. This year's summit is to be held offline for the first time after the pandemic. We see it as a valuable opportunity, and the HKSAR is very glad to host the guests from the Chinese mainland and overseas. We hope the summit can help promote Hong Kong's role in the Belt and Road Initiative and boost trade opportunities, particularly in the emerging markets such as the ASEAN market and the Middle East market."

Peter K N Lam, chairman of the HKTDC, said that since its inception in 2016, the Belt and Road Summit has evolved into a preeminent global business platform for discussing opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and fostering substantial cooperation. He expected that this year's forum will attract more than 5,000 attendees.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)