Introduction to the Silk Road Development Association:

In recent years, "the New Silk Road Economic Belt" and "the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" have become core topics. In response to the opportunities and roles that Hong Kong faces in the Belt and Road Initiative, the first local professional organization in Hong Kong dedicated to the Belt and Road – the Silk Road Development Association – was established in 2014. It has invited dozens of prominent figures to serve as consultants and members, including deputies to the National People's Congress, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), former officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and members of the Executive Council, Justices of the Peace, presidents of major chambers of commerce and professional organizations, directors of listed companies, winners of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons and Young Leaders Awards, as well as consultants from Belt and Road countries. We aim to contribute our knowledge and experience to provide support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and young people in business, cultural, and professional fields related to the Belt and Road Initiative, and to enhance their understanding of it. The Association has organized or co-organized over 60 Belt and Road-related activities. Cooperative institutions and invited keynote speakers for these activities include large organizations such as the Eurasian Economic Forum, Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Guangdong Chinese Chamber of Commerce, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, and Junior Chamber International Hong Kong. It also maintains communication with departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Silk Road Development Association is also an official partner of the Qinzhou Municipal Government in Guangxi. In 2016, it signed a memorandum with the Vice Mayor of Qinzhou Municipal Government to promote investment in Qinzhou, Guangxi by Hong Kong enterprises through CEPA. In the same year, it signed a cooperation memorandum with the Belt and Road Center of the Malaysian Chinese Association to jointly promote business cooperation between Hong Kong and Malaysian enterprises. In 2016, the Association published the Belt and Road-related book *Embarking on the Great Wheel of the Times along the Belt and Road*, which was distributed across Hong Kong and Macao and is available for loan at Hong Kong Public Libraries. In 2017, it produced the Belt and Road microfilm *Wish You a Pleasant Journey* and its theme song *Bon Voyage*. In 2018, it launched the "Belt and Road, Empowering Your Start" SME Support Program for Belt and Road Development and organized an Africa inspection mission, both of which received support from various sectors. In 2019, during the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), the Association hosted the "China-Africa Business and Legal Exchange Conference" and signed a cooperation memorandum with the Guangzhou Arbitration Commission to contribute to Belt and Road-related arbitration. In the same year, the 4th Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum, co-hosted by the Association and the Guangdong Chinese Chamber of Commerce, was attended by Li Jing, Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, as an officiating guest. In 2020, the 5th Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum, co-hosted by the Association and the Shenzhen Finance Institute of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, was attended by the Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Economic and Trade Office in Shenzhen as an officiating guest. In 2022, the Association held the 6th Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel, with several officials as officiating guests. Despite the pandemic, over 200 elites from political and business circles attended. In 2023, the Association was invited by the Nansha Authority to settle in the Gathering Center of Guangzhou Nansha Hong Kong and Macao Chamber of Commerce, providing members with an official venue for activities in the mainland. In the same year, the Association also paid a visit to the Consulate General of Kazakhstan and the Consul General to assist in promoting the development of Chinese and Hong Kong enterprises in the Kazakh market. In 2024, the Association organized a Greater Bay Area inspection mission to visit Qianhai, Nansha, and Zhuhai, where they called on local government departments. In the same year, funded by the Citizenship Education Fund of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, it produced its third microfilm *Walking North, Walking South*. The premiere was held at Emperor Cinemas, with over 200 attendees. The 2024 Quality Service Brand Awards (Belt and Road and Greater Bay Area Markets), hosted by the Association, was invited to be part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Belt and Road Week. It was successfully held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with over 20 enterprises from Hong Kong, the mainland, and overseas winning awards. After years of efforts, the Association has established communication channels with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and mainland governments. It has met with the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and successive Belt and Road Commissioners, and submitted proposals on the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition, it has signed cooperation memorandums with the Qinzhou Municipal Government and the Malaysian Chinese Association to jointly contribute to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has also collaborated with several major local organizations in Hong Kong, such as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GS1 Hong Kong, Hong Kong Jiangsu Association, and Professional and Senior Executives Association, to host activities. Moreover, it has served as a keynote speaker at Belt and Road forums organized by Xinhua News Agency Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters, Hami Municipal Government of Xinjiang, Guangdong Communist Youth League, and Guangdong Youth Federation. To enhance the promotion of Belt and Road information, the Silk Road Development Association maintains communication with multiple media outlets. It has published over 50 Belt and Road-related articles in newspapers such as the *Hong Kong Commercial Daily*, *Bauhinia Forum*, *Ta Kung Pao*, and *Metro Daily*. It has also shared Belt and Road information on programs of TVB, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), and Metro Radio Hong Kong. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area are complementary concepts. The Greater Bay Area enables cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao to participate in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative as a larger economic entity. Operating in Hong Kong and integrating resources from the mainland, the Silk Road Development Association is committed to contributing to the country's great vision of the Belt and Road Initiative. We are honored to play a role in the Belt and Road Initiative.