Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (front row, center) poses for a group photo with guests during the sixth Belt and Road Initiative International Forum and BRI Cooperation and Partnership Model Agreement Conference on Oct 13, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stressed the city's vital role in the Belt and Road Initiative and underscored its willingness to build a global community with a rewarded and shared future at a local BRI forum on Friday.

At the sixth Belt and Road Initiative International Forum, Lee noted that Hong Kong's unique strengths under the "one country, two systems" are widely appreciated, especially the city's robust legal and regulatory framework, and its proactive participation in the initiative.  

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“Our country supports Hong Kong's rise as an international legal and dispute resolution services center, one of eight key areas that the National 14th Five-Year Plan looks to Hong Kong to gain regional or international expertise in,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said during his speech at the forum. 

A sound legal system for negotiating international agreements is essential to building a rules-based business environment. The International Academy of the Belt and Road, which organizes today's forum, has dedicated significant effort in promoting exactly that. 

John Lee Ka-chiu, HK's Chief Executive

Liu Guangyuan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also highlighted Hong Kong's participation in, contributions toward, and benefits derived from the Belt and Road Initiative. 

He encouraged the city’s legal sector to actively engage in the practice of global governance and the creation of international legal systems, contribute to the formulation and negotiation of international rules, and jointly promote the BRI’s high-quality development.

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Liu advocates for the city to consolidate its advantage as a legal hub and continue promoting the integration of high-level international regulations and international exchanges on the rule of law.

The event is co-organized by the International Academy of the Belt and Road, Zhejiang University’s Academy of International Strategy and Law, and the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference, with the support of the Hong Kong Basic Law Education Association. 

“A sound legal system for negotiating international agreements is essential to building a rules-based business environment. The International Academy of the Belt and Road, which organizes today's forum, has dedicated significant effort in promoting exactly that,” Lee said. 

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The BRI Cooperation and Partnership Model Agreement Conference will also be held on Friday afternoon to discuss the future development of and cooperation within the BRI. 

The conference will gather government officials including Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, and experts and scholars from the Chinese mainland and overseas in the field of BRI research.