Belt and Road Summit spotlights ASEAN, Central Asia

The Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said the 11th Belt and Road Summit will be held on September 9 and 10 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Organizers said this year’s event will focus on trade, investment and development opportunities tied to ASEAN, Central Asia and the Middle East, while adding a new “Go Global” strand for mainland Chinese companies seeking overseas expansion. The summit is part of Hong Kong’s broader Belt and Road Week, which the government’s Belt and Road portal lists for September 6-12. Officials have presented the gathering as a platform linking mainland companies, foreign delegations, investors and professional services firms through Hong Kong. ### Why are ASEAN, Central Asia and the Middle East getting special billing this year? The HKTDC and the Hong Kong government said the 2026 summit will examine “new patterns of regional cooperation” among Belt and Road markets and other economies, with particular attention on ASEAN, Central Asia and the Middle East. The Standard, citing summit organizers, reported that the event will place greater emphasis on cross-regional cooperation and overseas expansion. (thestandard.com.hk) New regional chapters for Central Asia and the Middle East are due to debut at the summit. Organizers said those sections will bring together consulates, business organizations and companies to present investment projects and commercial opportunities from the two regions. (finance.yahoo.com) ### Who is expected to appear at the opening session? The opening session is set to feature Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Uruguay Vice President Carolina Cosse, Laos Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and HKTDC Chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang, according to organizer information reported by The Standard. Organizers said the speakers will discuss global economic and trade developments as well as international cooperation. (thestandard.com.hk) The summit programme page says the two-day event will include opening sessions, policy dialogues, keynote luncheons, thematic breakout sessions, signature projects sessions, project investment sessions, deal-making meetings and a cocktail reception on September 9-10. The HKTDC says the summit brings together senior government officials, representatives of international institutions, business leaders and industry experts from countries along and beyond the Belt and Road. (thestandard.com.hk) ### What concrete business activity are organizers promising? Organizers said the summit’s project investment sessions, deal-making activities and exhibition zones will feature more than 300 investment projects with a combined value of more than $3.7 billion. They also said more than 800 one-on-one business matching meetings are expected to connect project owners, investors and service providers. (beltandroadsummit.com) Nearly 100 policymakers and business figures are expected to speak at the two-day event, according to organizer details carried by The Standard. The venue is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, and the HKTDC media room lists the summit as beginning at 8:45 a.m. on September 9. (thestandard.com.hk) ### What is the new “Go Global” chapter supposed to do? The summit will introduce a Go Global Chapter aimed at supporting mainland Chinese enterprises seeking to expand overseas, organizers said. Anna Cheung Ming-ming, an assistant executive director at HKTDC, said the initiative will include thematic breakout sessions on overseas expansion and Hong Kong’s professional services, plus a new GoGlobal Connect Zone bringing together local service providers. (thestandard.com.hk) Cheung said roundtable discussions, one-on-one business matching and a GoGlobal business study mission to Nansha in Guangzhou will also be arranged. That structure underscores how the summit is being used not only as a conference but also as a matchmaking venue for companies looking for advisers, investors and market-entry partners. (thestandard.com.hk) ### How does Hong Kong describe its role in the Belt and Road push? Hong Kong’s official Belt and Road portal says the city can serve as “a key link and the prime platform” for the initiative, citing international project financing, offshore renminbi business, professional services and trade cooperation. InvestHK says the summit is designed to help participants explore business possibilities “in and through Hong Kong.” (thestandard.com.hk) The government portal also places the summit inside a wider September calendar that includes Belt and Road Week and Hong Kong Green Week. That framing aligns with officials’ repeated effort to present Hong Kong as a regional connector for capital, corporate services and cross-border deal flow. ### What happens after the summit opens? (beltandroad.gov.hk) September 10 is scheduled to include ASEAN Market Day as part of Belt and Road Week, according to organizer information reported by The Standard. Participants will also be able to meet HKTDC representatives from ASEAN offices, regional consulates general and business associations for consultations and networking, organizers said. (beltandroad.gov.hk) The next dated milestone is the summit itself on September 9-10 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, followed by the GoGlobal business study mission to Nansha in Guangzhou and other Belt and Road Week events running through September 12, according to organizer and government listings. (thestandard.com.hk)