The event, organized by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened on the morning of September 9 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) on September 9.

Themed "Advancing High-Quality Development • Embarking on a New Journey," this year’s two-day summit draws over 6,000 delegates, including leaders, business executives, and investors from more than 70 countries and regions. The summit focuses on exploring new economic, trade, and investment cooperation opportunities across three strategic regions, including ASEAN, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

In his opening remarks, Chief Executive John Lee underscored Hong Kong's pivotal role in enhancing regional economic connectivity. He noted that trade between Hong Kong and Belt and Road economies reached US$323 billion over the past year, an increase of about 17% year-on-year. Emphasizing that strengthening ties, boosting cooperation, and building consensus are crucial amid global geopolitical volatility and fragmentation trends, he affirmed this as the core value delivered by Hong Kong through its annual forum mechanism.

At the summit, the Consulate General of Vietnam, in coordination with the Vietnam Trade Office in Hong Kong, maintained a pavilion to promote investment opportunities to international enterprises and investors.

Reviewing this year's event, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong Le Duc Hanh stated that visitor turnout increased significantly. The Vietnamese pavilion, located within the ASEAN exhibition area, drew special attention from delegates, particularly businesses from mainland China, the Middle East, and Belt and Road countries.

Consul General Le Duc Hanh said that the Belt and Road Summit provides a practical opportunity to promote Vietnam's investment environment and support Vietnamese enterprises seeking to invest in Hong Kong. Notably, the summit witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on urban railway development cooperation between Hong Kong's MTR Corporation and Sovico Group, alongside a cooperation agreement between MTR and Gamuda Land Vietnam, witnessed by representatives of the Consulates General of Vietnam and Malaysia. She noted this as a clear demonstration of cooperation potential built on mutual strengths, promising concrete results in the near future.

Elaborating on the economic cooperation picture, Deputy Consul General and Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Hong Kong Vu Thi Thuy affirmed that the Trade Office's objective is to deliver up-to-date business environment information on Vietnam.

She noted that Hong Kong remains one of Vietnam's top trade and investment partners. During the seven- month period of 2026, Hong Kong rose to become the fourth-largest investor in Vietnam with US$4.9 billion in registered capital, bringing total accumulated investment to nearly US$44 billion. The Trade Office representative expressed expectations that the summit will maximize Hong Kong's bridging role in channeling capital from mainland China and the region into Vietnam.

From the business perspective, Hardy Diec, Managing Director of KCN Vietnam, a developer of ready-built factories and warehouses, shared that this is the company's second time participating in the Belt and Road exhibition in Hong Kong. The company aims to introduce its available infrastructure products to help international investors quickly deploy production operations upon entering Vietnam, thereby contributing to foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction.

Assessing Vietnam's potential, Joan Koh, Marketing Director of Guangdong Easyart Artificial Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., remarked that the country is an exceptional investment destination with vast potential across various product lines and sectors, opening up extensive cooperation opportunities for international investors.

Alongside plenary sessions on green finance and infrastructure, this year’s summit expands into new areas such as the low-altitude economy, digital transformation, and global supply chain connectivity solutions. More than 60 agreements and MoUs between governments and enterprises are expected to be signed during the event.

Source: VOV

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