The allure of humanitarian aid is age-old, keeping generation upon generation of doctors (including myself) captivated by the frontier of disasters and war zones with a single objective in mind: to save lives. When many years ago in my youth, I was fortunate enough to work on the frontline, it was more than a privilege, it was providence; encouraging the spirit and advancement of humanitarian aid work became my life’s mission, including helping more young people to get involved in meaningful humanitarian aid.

In response to the Belt and Road Initiative, the GX Foundation was established in Hong Kong five years ago with the aim of uniting the strength of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, fulfilling the Belt and Road Initiative’s spirit of sharing, and extending people-to-people connectivity. 

Being a Hong Kong-founded, international medical humanitarian NGO, the GX Foundation provides opportunities for young people in Hong Kong and on the mainland to provide humanitarian aid through conducting medical projects in countries along the Belt and Road; chances for Hong Kong young people to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and humanitarian aid are no longer out of reach.

Launched 10 years ago, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to promote cooperation among countries and regions in areas of policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonding. 

Apart from avidly promoting international investment and financing in the economic sphere, as well as the offshore renminbi business, and supporting professional endeavors and cooperating in trade exchange, Hong Kong should leverage its advantages of “one country, two systems”, established institutions and ample talent to establish NGOs that are specifically tailored to serving the Belt and Road

Unfortunately, many of these countries are unfamiliar to Hong Kong people, leading to a lack of motivation to participate in the initiative’s work. In reality, apart from rebuilding the infrastructure of Belt and Road countries with China’s resources, building good relations with other countries and encouraging the nationalist spirit must be prioritized. It’s said that, “In exchanging we become close to our people, and in becoming close to our people we advance in unity.”

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Apart from avidly promoting international investment and financing in the economic sphere, as well as the offshore renminbi business, and supporting professional endeavors and cooperating in trade exchange, Hong Kong should leverage its advantages of “one country, two systems”, established institutions and ample talent to establish NGOs that are specifically tailored to serving the Belt and Road countries.

Not only does this platform provide the general public with the opportunity to take part in national strategy, it also fosters cultural exchanges leading to people-to-people connectivity.

In September 2022, the GX Foundation launched its Cataract Blindness Elimination program in Laos, Cambodia and Djibouti. So far, it has successfully completed over 4,100 free cataract surgeries. At the end of this month, the foundation will launch new programs in Senegal and Mauritania in West Africa, as well as revamp the Djibouti program. This will help change the lives of many patients across the world, forge friendships between the Chinese medical teams and those of the countries they serve, and promote people-to-people connectivity. 

This month, the program was extended to overseas universities, with three interns from Oxford and Cambridge universities and the University of Hong Kong traveling to Prey Veng province in Cambodia. They were responsible for triaging patients and conducting pre-op surveys, gaining hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the skills and behind-the-scenes work required to run such operations. 

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During their stay in Prey Veng, Hong Kong students and Chinese mainland medical teams lived and worked together, creating an unprecedented academic, medical and cultural exchange. This was a novel form of cooperation between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, forming a team to work and exchange in conjunction with local teams — together, they made the spirit of sharing a reality.

Although thousands of kilometers separate Hong Kong from the Belt and Road regions, getting involved in humanitarian aid has never been more possible; a passion for it, as well as a willingness to endure the difficult conditions of the developing countries is all that’s needed for GX to welcome such volunteers. The 8th Belt and Road Summit will be held in Hong Kong this month, focusing on trade and economic cooperation. We wish the event great success. Nicholas Ho, the newly-appointed Commissioner for Belt and Road, will have an even wider perspective in advocating for the spirit of people-to-people connectivity with Hong Kong’s involvement in mind.

The author is CEO of the GX Foundation, a nonprofit NGO which aims to provide international medical and humanitarian assistance along the Belt and Road.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.