Celebrations of the Past Ten Sessions of the Belt and Road Development Association (2014 - 2024)

The First Anniversary Ceremony of the Silk Road Development Association, the Belt and Road Entrepreneurs' Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited Inspection Mission, the Belt and Road International Forum, and the Belt and Road Entrepreneurs' Qianhai Inspection Mission were successfully held from January 11 to 12, 2016. A total of more than 700 people from over 30 countries participated.

The First Anniversary Ceremony of the Silk Road Development Association was held on January 11, 2016. On that day, there were 250 guests, including Chinese and foreign dignitaries (such as more than 60 consuls general and consuls from various countries, deputies to the National People's Congress, officials of the Special Administrative Region Government, members of the Executive Council of the Special Administrative Region Government, officials from various provinces and cities, and Justices of the Peace), business leaders (presidents and representatives of over 30 chambers of commerce and organizations in Hong Kong), presidents of various Junior Chambers of Commerce, as well as more than 40 overseas entrepreneurs and presidents of overseas chambers of commerce from Belt and Road countries.

Rem Tai, Chairman of the Silk Road Development Association, delivered a welcome speech and expressed his gratitude for the support from all sectors. As Hong Kong’s first professional organization dedicated to the Belt and Road Initiative, the Association has assisted enterprises and young people in developing Belt and Road - related undertakings in the fields of business, culture, and professional services. Over the past year, the Association has carried out a great deal of work related to the Belt and Road Initiative, helping people from all walks of life gain a deeper understanding of it and establishing friendly relations with various political and business groups.

The consultants and members of the Association come from different countries, industries, political parties, religious backgrounds, and age groups. The Association believes that in today’s society, it is beneficial to the community to talk less about politics, focus more on development and cooperation, and take more concrete actions. The Belt and Road Initiative is a direction for the next 30 to 50 years, and the Association hopes to work with all sectors to carefully think about and practice the Belt and Road Initiative.

Thank you to the six representative figures who officiated at the event. The officiating guests include:

Mr. Wong Man-kong, BBS, Justice of the Peace, Deputy to the National People's Congress

Mrs. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, GBS, Justice of the Peace, Co-Chair of the Maritime Silk Road Association

Mr. Wen Xinnian, General Manager of Xinhua News Agency Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters

Ms. Hui Hiu-fai, SBS, Justice of the Peace, Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs

Mr. Leung King-kwok, Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

Dr. Ho Chung-tai, SBS, Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Tai Shun Policy Research Centre

In addition, thank you to the guests who attended the event:

Mr. Antonello De Riu, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong

Ms. Michele Deneffe, Consul General of Belgium in Hong Kong

Mr. Mohammad Sarwar Mahmood, Consul General of Bangladesh in Hong Kong

Mr. Zaw Zaw Soe, Consul General of Myanmar in Hong Kong

Mr. Sergio Avila, Consul General of Peru in Hong Kong

Consul (Political and Economic) of the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong

Mr. Bradley Peppinck, Consul

Ms. Marinee Suwanmoli, Deputy Consul General of the Royal Thai Consulate

Mr. Ruzlisham Bin Mat Diah, Investment Consul of the Guangzhou Office of Malaysia Investment Development Authority

Mr. Kevin Ding, Research Officer of the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong

Ms. Nicole Cheng, Investment Officer of Malaysia Investment Development Authority

Mr. Anas Hafez, Economic Adviser of the Qatari Consulate in Hong Kong

Mr. Wu Zhu, BBS, Founding President of the International Federation of Catering Associations

Mr. Yeung Wai-shing, MH, Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Cantonese Opera Development Fund

Ms. Pong Oi-lan, Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Healthy Cities Alliance – Western Pacific Region

Mr. Ho Lap-kei, Justice of the Peace, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Shippers' Council

Mr. Law Siu-hung, MH, District Governor of Lions Clubs International District 303

Mr. Ma Yuemin, Vice Chairman of the Jiangmen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Director of the United Front Work Department

Mr. Guo Caixing, Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department of the Heshan Municipal Party Committee

Mr. Zhu Zhigang, Assistant General Manager of Xinhua News Agency Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters

Mr. Zeng Yafei, President of the Commercial Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)

Ms. Zhao Lihua, Division Director of the United Front Work Department of Jiangmen City

In the afternoon of January 11, 2016, the Belt and Road Entrepreneurs' Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) Inspection Mission, hosted by the Silk Road Development Association, was successfully held. Entrepreneurs from various Belt and Road countries actively asked questions and expressed their gratitude to Bonnie, Vice President of HKEX, for her reception. 

In the evening of January 11, 2016, the Belt and Road International Forum, co-hosted by the Silk Road Development Association, was successfully held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor Chen Wenhong of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other overseas entrepreneurs shared their views on the Belt and Road Initiative.

On January 12, the Silk Road Development Association led over 40 entrepreneurs from Belt and Road countries on a visit to Qianhai, Shenzhen, and exchanged ideas with some foreign businessmen who are based in Shenzhen.

The 4th Anniversary Celebration of the Silk Road Development Association

The 4th Anniversary Celebration of the Silk Road Development Association and the 2019 "Belt and Road" Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum have come to a successful conclusion. More than 350 leaders and guests from the Greater Bay Area attended the events, and nearly 3,000 people watched the live broadcast on WeChat.

We would like to thank the Guangdong International Chinese Chamber of Commerce for co-hosting this forum with us, as well as the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (Guangdong Provincial Committee) and the China Overseas Chinese Merchants Association for acting as our guiding units. The theme of the forum is "New Era, New Mission, New Responsibility: Gather the Strength of Overseas Chinese Merchants along the Belt and Road and Focus on New Development Opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area".

The forum and the anniversary dinner were supported by leaders from several national organizations who attended the events, including Li Jing, Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; An Chen, Inspector of the Economic and Technological Department of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Vice President cum Secretary-General of the China Overseas Chinese Merchants Association; Duan Lüwen, Vice President of the China Overseas Chinese Merchants Association; Zhang Hua, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Federation of Industry and Commerce; Dong Yanjun, Executive Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee; Guo Zewei, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and President of the Guangdong International Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Li Zhong, Chairman of the Foshan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; and Bai Meixia, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, among dozens of other leaders. In her speech at the forum, Chairman Li Jing mentioned that enterprises should seize the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, give full play to their role as bridges and ties, and actively contribute the wisdom and strength of overseas Chinese merchants in the new era.

Dr. Hung Wai-man, Justice of the Peace and Deputy to the National People's Congress from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Dato’ Lim Heng Yi, Deputy President of the China-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce, and presidents of chambers of commerce from several Belt and Road countries recorded videos to show their support for the Association and the forum.

We invited several heavyweight speakers to the forum, including Professor Zhao Kefeng, Advisor to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Yuan Jun, Vice President of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences; Dr. Yang Muzhen, Associate Vice President of the UNESCO Hong Kong Association; Chairman Xu Chuwu, Executive President of the Greater China-Africa Chamber of Commerce; and Teferi Melesse, Consul General of Ethiopia in Guangzhou. All of them shared their views on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

At the anniversary dinner, we reported on over 50 Belt and Road-related activities that we had hosted or co-organized. We also invited participants from four of these projects to share their experiences: the Belt and Road youth entrepreneurship microfilm Wish You a Pleasant Journey, the Africa Inspection Mission, the Belt and Road book Embarking on the Great Wheel of the Times along the Belt and Road, and Belt and Road Collection, a column jointly run by the Hong Kong Commercial Daily and the Silk Road Development Association.

The 5th Anniversary Celebration of the Silk Road Development Association

The 5th Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum and the 5th Anniversary Celebration Dinner of the Silk Road Development Association have been successfully held. Following previous events in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, this year’s events were held in Shenzhen, with the forum co-hosted by the Shenzhen Finance Institute. Approximately 200 officials and entrepreneurs from the Greater Bay Area attended.

The opening speeches were delivered by two co-host representatives: Rem Tai, Chairman of the Silk Road Development Association, and Professor Zhang Bohui, Director of the Research Center for Financial Technology and Social Finance at the Shenzhen Finance Institute. Afterwards, Tang Yuet-yung, Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Economic and Trade Office in Shenzhen, presented commemorative wooden plaques to the new presidium of the Silk Road Development Association.

Three keynote speakers at the forum shared insights on development opportunities in ASEAN, the Greater Bay Area, and arbitration. They were Dato’ Lim Heng Yi, Deputy President of the China-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce; Professor Wang Jian, Director of the Research Center for Macro-Financial Stability and Innovation at the Shenzhen Finance Institute; and Director Zhang Yi, Head of Dongguan Branch of the Guangzhou Arbitration Commission.

The annual journal of the Silk Road Development Association is rich in content this year. In addition to featuring the Association’s flagship activities over the past five years and a brief introduction to 60 Belt and Road-related events held previously, it also invited two prominent guests as columnists—Mr. Li Bingtao, Chief Executive Officer of Everbright Sun Hung Kai Co., Ltd., and Director Liang Jianwei of the Guangdong Institute for Strategy Research. Their contributions are highly forward-looking and informative.

The 5th Anniversary Dinner of the Association was held after the forum. Wang Shiqi, Champion of Miss China (Mainland China), attended as a guest, adding charm to the dinner.

A Brief Introduction to Flagship Activities of the Silk Road Development Association in the Past Years:

In 2015, we organized a delegation of entrepreneurs from Belt and Road countries to visit Hong Kong and held the Belt and Road International Forum. Over 700 participants, including entrepreneurs from Belt and Road countries and the Greater Bay Area, as well as consuls general, took part. They visited the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) and the Qianhai Authority, which deepened their understanding of Hong Kong and Qianhai.

In 2016, we published the Belt and Road-related book Embarking on the Great Wheel of the Times along the Belt and Road, which was released in bookstores across Hong Kong and Macao and well-received by the public. The book is also available in the Hong Kong Public Libraries and some libraries in Belt and Road countries.

In 2017, to enhance young people’s understanding of the Belt and Road Initiative, we produced a Belt and Road microfilm themed on youth entrepreneurship, Wish You a Pleasant Journey, and recorded its theme song Bon Voyage. The microfilm and its trailer have been viewed by nearly 100,000 people, and the theme song is available for on-demand playback at “Tang Hui” and “Neway” (KTV chains), enjoying great popularity among young people.

In 2018, the launching ceremony of the “Belt and Road: Empowering Your Start” SME Support Program for Belt and Road Development was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with support from many enterprises. In addition, we organized an Africa inspection mission, visiting Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria, and signed cooperation memorandums with local organizations.

In 2019, our Association held the Belt and Road Greater Bay Area Cooperation Promotion Forum in Guangzhou, with Li Jing, Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, attending as an officiating guest. During the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), we also hosted the “China-Africa Business and Legal Exchange Conference” and signed a cooperation memorandum with the Guangzhou Arbitration Commission, making efforts in the field of Belt and Road arbitration.

Through years of efforts, the Silk Road Development Association has established communication channels with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and mainland governments, and submitted proposals on the Belt and Road Initiative. It has also maintained communication with multiple media outlets and set up a newspaper column Belt and Road Collection in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily.

The 8th Anniversary Celebration of the Silk Road Development Association

The 8th Anniversary Celebration of the Silk Road Development Association was held at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel on October 7, 2022. Rem Tai, Chairman of the Silk Road Development Association, delivered a welcome speech. Mr. Liu Chun-san, Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and Dr. Bernard Chan Pak-li, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, delivered keynote speeches for the opening and closing sessions respectively.

Guest speakers at the forum included Ms. Lau Wai-ping, Vice President of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Professor Hung Wai-man, Chief Liaison Officer for Hong Kong Affairs of the Qianhai Authority; Mr. Yip Chak-yan, Chief Liaison Officer of the Guangzhou Nansha New Area Hong Kong Service Center; and Dr. Yang Muzhen, Associate Vice President of the UNESCO Hong Kong Association.

In addition, the launching ceremony of the Belt and Road youth entrepreneurship microfilm Wish You a Pleasant Journey 2 was held at the same event, with Mr. Lung Tsz-ming, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, serving as the officiating guest. Later, the Quality Service Brand Awards 2022 Presentation Ceremony was held, where Mr. Chan Siu-hung, Member of the Legislative Council, presented eight awards to the winning companies. The entire event was held successfully.

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