The annual Belt and Road Summit will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 and 11 September for its 10th edition, cementing its role as a leading platform for policy dialogue and business collaboration between Belt and Road economies and other countries and regions.
Co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Summit brings together key officials and business leaders from Belt and Road countries and regions to share insights, showcase investment projects, make deals and explore collaboration opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) across sectors including finance and investment, innovation and technology, professional services, infrastructure, maritime services and more.
Since the first Belt and Road Summit in 2016, the conference series has achieved impressive results. More than 700 distinguished speakers from over 30 countries and regions have shared their insights with more than 45,000 participants from over 120 countries and regions.
The Summit has also facilitated around 5,400 business matching meetings and supported over 2,000 projects, including originating more than 30 deals involving over 50 companies.
Under the theme “Collaborate for Change • Shape a Shared Future,” this year’s Summit will feature opening remarks by the HKSAR Chief Executive and a special address by the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia.
Dialogue sessions exploring the latest Belt and Road policies and cross-regional economic cooperation updates will feature speakers from Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Türkiye and the APEC Secretariat.
Two business plenaries exploring emerging opportunities and developments will feature speakers from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Oman, while a session on opportunities in ASEAN will feature speakers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mainland China and Malaysia.
Highlighting investment opportunities from around the world, the project investment sessions will include a new Middle East & ASEAN Market Focus segment, showcasing high-potential projects from these two fast-growing regions.
Additionally, a new Signature B&R Projects Session will feature in-depth looks at major investment projects and initiatives in Thailand and Saudia Arabia, underscoring the Belt and Road Initiative’s role in driving economic transformation and innovation.
The project sessions will continue to cover four themes - energy, natural resources and public utilities; urban development; transport and logistics infrastructure; and innovation and technology - showcasing over 300 investment projects.
The popular Deal-Making session will provide participants with opportunities for negotiation and collaboration and will be extended online from 15 to 16 September. At last year’s session, 280 investment projects were matched, and more than 800 one-to-one project matching meetings took place.
Thematic breakout forums will present discussions on topics such as capital markets, logistics, risk management, sustainability and youth development.
An exhibition area will collectively showcase professional services, innovative technologies and investment opportunities, including a newly introduced ASEAN Pavilion highlighting the latest projects across diverse sectors in the region.
In addition, the Belt and Road Global Forum Annual Roundtable 2025 will be held on the morning of 12 September, alongside Belt and Road Week, bringing together Hong Kong, mainland and international organisations and associations to share information, interact and explore multilateral cooperation.
The Summit’s significant role in supporting Hong Kong’s trade and investment with Belt and Road countries and regions was highlighted by Secretary for Commercial and Economic Development Algernon Yau who related that since 2013, Hong Kong's merchandise trade with Belt and Road countries and regions has grown by nearly 80%, which is 3.2 times the growth rate of Hong Kong's external merchandise trade during the same period, reaching about US$280 billion.
“This demonstrates Hong Kong's capabilities as an international trade and investment hub and highlights the growth potential of Belt and Road markets,” he said.
“We will further enhance Hong Kong's role in taking forward the B&RI, raising the awareness of the B&RI among different sectors of the community and helping them to capture Belt and Road opportunities."