Before we knew it, the Silk Road Development Association has been established for more than a decade. Ten years ago, the Hong Kong community knew nothing about the Belt and Road Initiative, but today, there is widespread recognition of it. We have always persisted in making unremitting efforts for the development of the Belt and Road and have witnessed its progress. As among the first group of people in Hong Kong to promote the Belt and Road, we are well aware that the Initiative involves numerous countries, a wide range of industries, and professional knowledge. Only by being inclusive, pooling wisdom, and building consensus can this great vision be realized.

A century ago, the development of the United States gave birth to the New York Bay Area; after World War II, the rise of Japan nurtured the Tokyo Bay Area; and the millennium technological revolution boosted the development of the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, the Belt and Road Initiative is the greatest cornerstone for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to become a world-class bay area.

The vision of the Belt and Road is a century-long project, and it has only just begun. We hope more people will join us to "embark on the great wheel of the times along the Belt and Road". We wish you all "a pleasant journey" and thank you for "being with us all the way"!

• Rem Tai, Founding Chairman of the Silk Road Development Association