HONG KONG, June 7 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), recently led the largest trade delegation of the current administration to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, completing nearly 100 cooperation agreements.
The week-long visit has achieved significant breakthroughs in economic, institutional, and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Central Asia while opening new pathways for Hong Kong's development.
The delegation's visit concluded on June 6, yielding achievements in eight areas, including politics, economy, culture, and education. A total of 96 agreements and memoranda were signed, with projects valued at over 1.65 billion U.S. dollars.
On government cooperation, Lee said that the HKSAR government signed or exchanged 15 documents with the governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan also agreed to establish a consulate general in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the HKSAR government and the governments of the two countries will negotiate comprehensive double taxation agreements and bilateral investment protection treaties. In addition, the customs and excise department of the HKSAR government and Uzbekistan customs will launch a mutual recognition arrangement for authorized economic operators to facilitate clearance and improve trade efficiency.
Financial cooperation was also notable. During the trip, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) signed agreements with Kazakhstan's Astana Hub and Astana International Financial Center to strengthen collaboration in green finance, cross-border listings, and commodity market development.
Bonnie Chan, chief executive officer of HKEX, said that enterprises in infrastructure, mining, and emerging industries in Central Asian countries are rapidly growing, and the HKEX can provide diversified financing platforms for them.
Facilitating travel was a major breakthrough. Hong Kong airlines will open a direct route to Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the first quarter of next year. The HKSAR government and the government of Uzbekistan have initialed a civil aviation agreement, allowing airlines to operate flights under reciprocal rights. The HKSAR government and the two countries also agreed to extend visa-free stays to 30 days.
"These achievements actively support the strategy of deepening connectivity among Belt and Road partner countries, driving cooperation in trade, logistics, and tourism," said Mable Chan, secretary for transport and logistics of the HKSAR government.
A distinctive feature of the delegation was that about half of the enterprises came from the Chinese mainland. Enterprises from the mainland and Hong Kong joined forces in tapping new markets, which is both an innovative path for mainland enterprises to go global and a vivid example of Hong Kong acting as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" in serving national development.
Among the delegates is Li Guanhua, senior vice-president of Li Auto. Li said that Hong Kong can efficiently and precisely connect the industrial strength of the Chinese mainland with the market demand in Central Asia, building a full-cycle and high-level "highway" for mainland enterprises to go global.
Yun Penggang, the chairman of Inner Mongolia Energy Group, said that the visit was a vivid practice of mainland and Hong Kong enterprises working hand in hand to build the future, and the itinerary is practical and efficient.
Central Asia is the first place where the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed and a pioneer zone for its high-quality development. The region is accelerating its efforts to break away from resource dependence and promote the diversified transformation of industries, generating massive demands in areas such as infrastructure financing, digital economy, and green industries. These align precisely with Hong Kong's strengths, amplifying its unique value in Belt and Road cooperation.
"As one of the world's most competitive economies, a top three international financial center, and an offshore Chinese renminbi hub, Hong Kong can provide flexible capital and intellectual support for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan's economic reforms," Bryan Lin Xiaohui, chairman of Hong Kong Environmental Protection Practitioners Association Limited, said, adding that this mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation has injected new impetus into the high-quality develpment of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer of Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific, said that Hong Kong is an international aviation hub, and the company will align with the HKSAR government's policy to strengthen ties with emerging Central Asian markets, enhancing connectivity with Belt and Road partner countries and supporting cultural and tourism exchanges. ■