Hong Kong's Participation

Aviation

• Hong Kong is in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region, and is within a five-hour flight from about half of the world's population.
• Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is named one of the world's top airports and has been the world's busiest cargo airport in terms of annual total volume 14 times since 2010.
• The Three-Runway System of HKIA has an expected capacity to handle 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo per annum from 2035 onwards.
• As at the end of June 2025, Hong Kong has signed 80 bilateral civil aviation agreements. Among these, 30 aviation partners have fully opened their flight capacities, enabling airlines to adjust their services in response to market demands at any time.
• Among the more than 150 countries along the B&R, Hong Kong has signed Air Services Agreements or Air Services Transit Agreements with about 50 of them. Hong Kong operates scheduled flights (including passenger and cargo flights) to/from 33 B&R countries (approximately 60 destinations in total).
• Over the past two years, Hong Kong has expanded bilateral air services arrangements with a number of aviation partners, including B&R countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Luxembourg, Qatar, the Philippines, Türkiye and Egypt. Airlines have been encouraged to launch or increase flight services to support Hong Kong's overall development. Direct passenger flights launched in 2024 and 2025 included flights to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Urumqi, Hailar, Yiwu and Changzhou in the Chinese Mainland.
• The Hong Kong International Aviation Academy is the second institution in the world to obtain dual certification from Airports Council International and International Civil Aviation Organization TRAINAIR PLUS Programme. The Academy has also launched Advanced Master Programmes in collaboration with the Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile of France and provides aviation-related courses and training to students in the local and Chinese Mainland aviation industries and B&R countries.

• Hong Kong is an international trading centre and ranks as the world's freest economy (Canada-based Fraser Institute: Economic Freedom of the World 2025 Annual Report).
• Hong Kong is home to around 1 400 B&R companies in 2024 and Hong Kong's outward direct investment to B&R countries and regions in 2023 exceeded US$133 billion.
• As a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Hong Kong is firmly committed to the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.
• Hong Kong has set up 16 offices/liaison units in the Chinese Mainland and 15 overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs).
• InvestHK has also established new consultant offices in Cairo, Egypt in July 2024 and in Izmir, Türkiye in January 2025, with a view to attracting capital and enterprises from high-potential emerging markets such as the Middle East and North Africa. Together with the offices of InvestHK and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) worldwide, Hong Kong has set up offices in 68 cities around the world, covering 129 countries, including 99 B&R countries.
• Hong Kong has signed nine free trade agreements with 21 economies (including 14 B&R countries), and a total of 24 investment agreements with 33 overseas economies (including about 20 B&R economies).
• Hong Kong has signed Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements/Arrangements with 55 tax jurisdictions, including 38 B&R jurisdictions, helping investors better assess their potential tax liabilities from cross-border economic activities.
• Hong Kong has concluded Authorized Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangements with 18 economies, including 12 B&R economies, with up to 90% reduction inspection rate in customs clearance for cargoes imported into Hong Kong. In 2024, 13.9% of Hong Kong trade value was under such arrangements, up from 12.2% in 2023.
• The HKSAR Government established the HK$200 million Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) to provide financial support for non-profitmaking projects aimed at increasing exchanges and co-operation of Hong Kong's professional services with counterparts in external markets, promoting publicity activities, and enhancing the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong's professional services. The Government has also set aside HK$50 million under PASS for the “Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme” to subsidise the participation of major professional bodies in relevant activities organised by the Government and HKTDC.
• The HKSAR Government provides financial support to small and medium enterprises through the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) to assist them in participating in export promotion activities as well as developing brands, upgrading and restructuring operations and promoting sales in the Mainland and overseas markets and enhancing their competitiveness.

Finance

• Hong Kong is an international financial centre, ranking third globally and first in Asia-Pacific in the Global Financial Centres Index (published by UK-based Z/Yen and China Development Institute from Shenzhen in September 2025).
• Hong Kong IPO market remained vibrant,raising about US$36.64 billion, in 2025, ranking first globally.
• Hong Kong is the world's largest offshore renminbi (RMB) business centre, providing diversified RMB investment, financing and risk management products. Hong Kong has the world's deepest offshore RMB liquidity pool of around RMB 1 trillion, and settles around 80% of the world's RMB offshore payments.
• Importers and exporters in B&R economies can settle their trade in RMB through Hong Kong's payment system. Investors can also invest their RMB funds in “dim sum” bonds or a wide range of RMB-denominated financial products available in the Hong Kong market.
• As one of Asia's top asset management centres and an international risk management centre, Hong Kong can meet the demand for wealth, insurance and risk management services generated by B&R projects.
• The HKSAR Government has successfully issued three Islamic bonds (Sukuk), demonstrating to B&R countries and the world the diversity and viability of Hong Kong's bond market as a fundraising platform for Islamic jurisdictions.
• The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) established the Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO) in 2016. It serves as an exchange platform to facilitate infrastructure investment and financing by organising training workshops, high-level seminars and investor roundtables for key stakeholders. So far, around 90 local, overseas and Chinese Mainland organisations have joined IFFO as its partners.
• HKMA expanded investments in B&R regions through the jointly established “BNR HK Flagship Impact Fund” with the Silk Road Fund Company Limited, with an initial capital of US$1 billion or equivalent in RMB in the first phase.
• HKMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to anchor a joint US$1 billion fund to invest in companies with Hong Kong nexus expanding to Saudi Arabia to drive localisation of key industries, including manufacturing, renewables, fintech and healthcare.
• The HKSAR Government is promoting the management of more global capital in Hong Kong, including facilitating new distribution channels for private equity funds through the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. At present, over 100 B&R enterprises are listed in Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong is dedicated to being an ideal destination for issuing insurance-linked securities (ILS). A regulatory regime and pilot grant scheme for ILS was announced in 2021 to assist enterprises in managing weather and emerging risks in B&R projects by issuing catastrophe bonds and other tools for transferring risk.
• The HKSAR Government supports and encourages enterprises to set up captive insurance companies in Hong Kong, enhancing enterprises’ comprehensive risk management capacities and improving their risk management systems, strategic planning and resource allocation for B&R business development.

Legal

• Hong Kong is an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the region, and is ranked as the No.1 most preferred seat of arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region and the No.2 most preferred seat for arbitration in the world (tied with Singapore) in the 2025 International Arbitration Survey conducted by Queen Mary University of London.
• In May 2025, the Signing Ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was held in Hong Kong, with 33 countries signing the Convention on site. The Convention entered into force in August 2025 and the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong commenced operations in October 2025.
• The Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy organises practical training courses, seminars, international exchange programmes, leveraging on Hong Kong's bilingual common law system and international status. The academy will offer more capacity building events to promote talent exchanges along the B&R.
• AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre has been recognised by our country as a case of significance for the implementation of the B&R Initiative in building a global community of shared future. The Centre provides solutions for multilateral disputes in B&R co-operation, promoting trade and investment in the Asian-African region.

Green finance

• Corporations in the B&R countries and regions can make use of the international carbon marketplace Core Climate of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) to facilitate capital flow to green projects. Core Climate provides the market with carbon credit projects from B&R countries and regions, primarily in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
• HKMA and HKEX joined the Green Investment and Finance Partnership (the Partnership) initiated by the BRI International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) as inaugural members in October 2023. In March 2024, HKMA's IFFO and BRIGC co-organised a seminar on Financing the Green Development of the Belt & Road Initiative, the first event of the Partnership held outside the Chinese Mainland.
• In June 2025, the HKSAR Government successfully issued multi-tranche green bonds totalling around HK$21 billion equivalent and denominated in RMB, Euro and US dollars. Among which, the 20-year RMB green bonds, which were first introduced in July 2024, continued to receive strong support from investors, with the issuance size doubled from the inaugural offering. In 2024, the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong topped the Asian market, capturing around 45% of the regional total.

Environment and ecology

• The HKSAR Government utilises the annual Eco Expo Asia as a platform to bring together international exhibitors and industry professionals to showcase cutting-edge green solutions. Delegations from B&R countries and the Chinese Mainland are invited to participate in the Expo with a view to enhancing and strengthening connectivity with B&R countries and regions, and realising the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development. High-level delegations from 10 B&R countries participated in the 20th Eco Expo in late October 2025, including the United Arab Emirates, the Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan.
• The Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Research Center) signed the Cooperation Arrangement for Implementation of Ecological and Environmental Protection under the Belt and Road Initiative in September 2023, which has leveraged the resources and connections of the Research Centre to further explore environmental exchanges and co-operation with other B&R countries.

• The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau continues to promote innovation and technology (I&T) exchanges and co-operation among enterprises and organisations from the Mainland and overseas, including those from B&R countries and regions, with a view to advancing I&T development and deepening cross-sectoral collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, cross-boundary data flow and digital security.
• Three major organisations of I&T parks in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited and Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited) and the Hong Kong Productivity Council will continue to promote exchanges and co-operation between enterprises from the B&R countries and regions and Hong Kong through various channels.

• On the development of Chinese Medicine (CM), Hong Kong will fully leverage its advantages in healthcare system, regulatory regime, standard-setting, clinical research, trade and other areas to develop Hong Kong into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM, and promote the expansion of the CM market to B&R countries.
• Regarding healthcare standards, two public hospitals in Hong Kong have already obtained accreditation under international accreditation standards developed based on national Tier 3A hospital accreditation standards. The research centre which formulated the standards has set up an office in Hong Kong to promote national standards to B&R countries.

• The Asia+ Festival is held annually from September to November, focusing on Asia and connecting with B&R countries and regions in Europe, Africa and the Americas, to showcase diverse and vibrant cultures.
• The HKSAR Government, through the CreateSmart Initiative, supports the co-production of television variety programmes by local television stations and Asian (including B&R countries) production teams to promote the unique pop culture of Hong Kong to audiences of various places, enhancing the cultural soft power of Hong Kong and opening up relevant markets.

• The HKSAR Government is actively encouraging various sectors of the community to enhance tourism support measures for creating a friendly environment for visitors, including providing information at the airport in Arabic and encouraging taxi fleets to provide fleet service information in Arabic; compiling a list of restaurants offering halal food; encouraging more commercial establishments to provide appropriate facilities, such as worship facilities in hotels; and stepping up staff training to strengthen their knowledge on receiving visitors from different cultural backgrounds.
• The HKSAR Government continues to organise various youth internship and exchange programmes with B&R countries, including HYAB – United Nations Volunteer Internship Programme, HYAB Funding Scheme for International Youth Exchange, and HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas. About 1 400 young people participated in these programmes in 2024/25.
• As at end-June 2025, more than 7 700 Hong Kong youths travelled to B&R countries under HKSAR Government's Working Holiday Scheme (WHS), while more than 5 800 youths from B&R countries were granted WHS visas to visit Hong Kong.
• In the 2024/25 academic year, Hong Kong attracted over 4 000 students from B&R countries/regions to study in University Grants Committee-funded programmes.
• The HKSAR Government has increased the annual quota for the B&R Scholarship by 50% to 150 starting from the 2024/25 academic year.
• More than 110 B&R countries have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR Passport holders.
• Nationals from about 110 B&R countries may visit Hong Kong visa-free for periods ranging from 7 to 180 days.
• In the World Talent Ranking 2025 published by IMD, Hong Kong's ranking leapt markedly to fourth place, the city's highest-ever ranking globally and ranking No. 1 in Asia.

• The Belt and Road Summit is held in Hong Kong since 2016. The Summit has established itself as the largest and most important international commerce, business and investment platform for promoting B&R collaboration of Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas enterprises.
• The Summit has been recognised by our country as a case of significance for the implementation of the B&R Initiative in building a global community of shared future and was included as one of the deliverables of the Third B&R Forum for International Cooperation during the 10th anniversary of the B&R Initiative.
• Hong Kong organised the 10th Belt and Road Summit in September 2025. The Summit attracted around 6 200 participants, including more than 90 government and business speakers, as well as over 100 delegations. A total of 45 MoUs were witnessed during the Summit – a record number for the event so far.