Patrick Lau says the city’s role as a fundraising hub will continue to be vital in driving the initiative’s growth
Professional services are indispensable in cross-border deal-making and collaboration. By leveraging the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s strengths as an international financial center and a regional hub for professional services, the Belt and Road Initiative injects fresh momentum into the internationalization of the SAR’s service industries that can contribute much to the high-quality development of the BRI.
Last month, together with Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Professional Services Advisory Committee, I led a delegation of 19 Hong Kong professionals from accounting, legal, consulting, corporate services and valuation sectors to Vietnam to showcase Hong Kong’s strengths in professional services. During the visit, many delegates had in-depth discussions on myriad business opportunities, and Normsun Advisory Services Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute for Economics and Trade Development in Vietnam to strengthen collaboration in professional services.
In recent years, as the BRI has continued to evolve, the demand for professional services in partner countries and regions has steadily increased. Hong Kong’s professional services are diverse, vibrant, flexible and innovative, and are closely aligned with international standards. The city’s sophistication in key areas such as financing, accounting, infrastructure planning, design and innovation, construction management, insurance solutions, risk management, legal and regulatory services, and dispute resolution are recognized worldwide. Leveraging these strengths, Hong Kong is well equipped to provide world-class professional services to support BRI projects.
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As an international financial center, Hong Kong also continues to play a pivotal role in deal-making in the BRI, including project financing. In the first half of 2025, Hong Kong raised HK$107.1 billion ($13.73 billion) through IPOs and is expected to rank first globally in terms of fundraising. It is the world’s largest offshore renminbi clearing hub, processing more than 70 percent of offshore RMB payments. Under the BRI, Hong Kong has naturally become a springboard for Chinese mainland enterprises “going global”, helping to manage their supply chain as well as finance and support infrastructure projects in partner countries, including ports, railways and healthcare facilities, as well as socially impactful projects that could be “small and beautiful” deals. With growing demand for green financing and green bonds, Hong Kong’s role as a fundraising center will continue to be crucial in driving the green development of the BRI, which is much welcomed by many countries and investors.
Hong Kong has ranked among the most preferred locations for arbitration globally in recent years. Under the “one country, two systems” framework, it is the only jurisdiction in the world practicing a bilingual common law system, with arbitral awards enforceable in over 170 Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
The city has already provided dispute resolution services for nations and economies involved in the BRI, helping boost investor confidence in collaboration initiatives. With the International Organization for Mediation officially announcing in May that it would be establishing its headquarters in Hong Kong, the city is set to further strengthen its role in economic and trade cooperation among nations and economies involved in the BRI and to unlock new business opportunities.
The HKSAR government has long been committed to promoting Hong Kong’s professional services, deepening collaboration with participating countries, as well as the mainland business community. In February, the Belt and Road Office under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau hosted the Belt and Road Cross-professional Forum, attracting more than 250 business participants from Hong Kong, the mainland and participating countries. The event showcased dozens of business cases and potential projects in areas such as finance, construction and engineering, transport and logistics, legal, green tech and innovation, sharing experiences with businesses in Hong Kong and exploring collaboration opportunities.
Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Summit, co-organized by the HKSAR government and the HKTDC, has now entered its 10th edition. Over the years, the event has facilitated around 5,400 business-matching meetings and supported more than 2,000 projects. Last year, the gathering witnessed a record high of 25 MoUs signed. In addition, the HKTDC Belt and Road Portal not only provides valuable insights into markets and projects for interested investors, project owners, and related enterprises, but also serves as a platform for businesses to find suitable partners. This helps facilitate connections between enterprises and professional services, and encourages broader project participation.
These achievements not only demonstrate Hong Kong’s strength as a trading hub, but also reflect the event’s ability to provide meaningful support for high-potential projects.
Indeed, many business leaders are bringing their projects to the gathering to explore collaboration. For example, Indonesia’s new capital city initiative has used the event as a platform for their multiyear promotion since the early days. Senior government and business leaders, including then-president Joko Widodo and founder of Lippo Group Mochtar Riady, attended the gathering in 2019 and 2020 and shared insights into the prospects for Indonesia-Hong Kong collaboration. Dedicated project pitching sessions were organized to showcase various projects around the new capital city, now named Nusantara, ranging from agriculture to infrastructure, followed by ongoing matching and facilitation services. We specifically curated and organized roundtables bringing together project owners from Indonesia as well as investors and service providers from Hong Kong and the mainland.
As mentioned, not all the BRI deals and projects need to be mega. For example, we facilitated a deal between Indonesia’s state-owned enterprise Perumda Varia Niaga Samarinda, Hong Kong’s Rainmaker Ventures and Shenzhen-based agri-tech startup Linkta to drive strategic technology investment in smart poultry farming and agricultural development in Nusantara. According to the latest update about the deal, those farms are producing over 1 million eggs per day, which go to feed the many civil servants who relocated there from the old capital city Jakarta.
These figures and success stories not only highlight the achievements of the event, but also fully showcase Hong Kong’s strengths as a superconnector and super value-adder in the deal-making, reinforcing its role as a functional platform for the BRI.
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Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Summit will be held on Sept 10-11 under the theme “Collaborate for Change • Shape a Shared Future”. The event is expected to bring together around 6,000 business leaders, and the lineup of speakers includes over 90 key government officials and business leaders from 18 nations involved in the BRI. Discussions will center on key areas such as finance and investment, innovation and technology, professional services, infrastructure and maritime services. Leveraging this platform, we aim to deepen cross-border cooperation and resource sharing, accelerate project realization, reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a regional hub for professional services, and continue injecting new momentum into the BRI.
The HKTDC is committed to promoting the vibrant business opportunities brought by high-quality development in the Belt and Road Initiative. We will actively support the business community in leveraging Hong Kong’s unique role as a superconnector, super value-adder, and a high value-added supply chain service center. Hong Kong’s professional services should continue to embrace Belt and Road deal-making, facilitating and creating many more win-win deals for the Belt and Road countries and regions and their societies.
The author is deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
