In this golden autumn, the 10th Belt and Road Summit is being held  in Hong Kong. More than 90 high-level officials and business leaders from 18 relevant countries and regions will gather in Hong Kong to discuss development and business opportunities and cooperation prospects together, which will surely leave an indelible chapter for the long scroll painting of BRI cooperation, and become a historic moment for Hong Kong to participate in high quality BRI cooperation.

Looking back, Hong Kong has made outstanding contribution to BRI development.

Since the Belt and Road initiative was put forward, it has grown from an idea to action and a vision to reality. It has become an important platform in practice for building a community with a shared future for mankind, injecting fresh impetus into world economic growth and opening up new space for global development. In this momentous journey, Hong Kong has played an irreplaceable role by virtue of its unique advantages.

Hong Kong is a "super connector" between the mainland and the international market. Under "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong has a more prominent role to play as a bridge, and its connectivity with the world has grown by the day. Hong Kong has joined over 100 international organizations, and over 280 international multilateral agreements have welcomed or applied to Hong Kong. It is also the city with the second largest number of foreign consulates in the world. Hong Kong has actively hosted various international conferences and forums, which has promoted policy synergy, economic and trade exchanges and people-to-people bond among BRI partners.

Hong Kong is a "functional platform" for enterprises to invest and finance. As an international financial, shipping and trade center, Hong Kong is a key node for financial cooperation and unimpeded trade under BRI cooperation. The internationalization of the RMB is progressing steadily in Hong Kong, which provides more choices for BRI investment and financing. Hong Kong's status as a free port and its well-developed sea and air transport network have promoted its exchange of goods with relevant countries. The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is also actively exploring emerging BRI markets. In May this year, Chief Executive Mr. John Lee led over 50 entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and the mainland to visit Qatar and Kuwait, with a series of pragmatic cooperation outcomes, which fully demonstrated the institutional strength of "One Country, Two Systems" and the unique role of Hong Kong in its connectivity with both the mainland and the world.

Hong Kong serves as a people-to-people bond between the East and the West. Hong Kong, the place where East meets West, is ideal for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations with its openness and inclusivity. Many international institutions and NGOs have settled in Hong Kong, and universities, think tanks and cultural groups in Hong Kong have actively participated in BRI cooperation projects on people-to-people exchanges, which has enhanced mutual understanding and friendship and cemented the social foundation for cooperation. Since the launch of the Belt and Road (B&R) Scholarship in the 2016/17 academic year, the Education Bureau (EDB) of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has funded the studies of 680 international students from 49 BRI partners in Hong Kong.

It must be noted that Hong Kong has successfully hosted 9 Belt and Road Summits, which have attracted nearly 45,000 guests from over 120 countries and regions, organized about 5,400 business matchmaking events, supported over 2,000 projects, and brought over 30 cooperation or transactions into reality, covering infrastructure, finance, science and technology, green development, among other important areas. The fruitful outcomes of the Summit fully demonstrated the unique value and important contribution of Hong Kong in high quality BRI cooperation.

Looking ahead, Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects for BRI cooperation.

Unprecedented global changes are unfolding at a faster pace, while peace and development, as the theme of our times, remain unchanged, and economic globalization as the general trend of history remains unchanged. China remains committed to promoting high-standard opening up, and its resolve to share development opportunities with other countries in the world will not change. BRI cooperation is pursuing high-quality development and expanding to new dimensions and areas, bringing unprecedented new opportunities for Hong Kong. As BRI cooperation deepens, the potential for cooperation in health, green, digital, innovation and other new areas has been continuously unleashed in particular. Hong Kong can and will accomplish a great deal with its experience in professional services, international rules, innovative technologies and people-to-people exchanges.

Hong Kong could build a BRI comprehensive service platform. With the strong support of the central government, Hong Kong could continue to consolidate and enhance its position as an international financial center, strengthen its functions as a global offshore RMB business hub, promote innovation of financial products, and provide better financial services for BRI development. Taking the opportunity of the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation here, Hong Kong could speed up the development as an international center for legal and dispute settlement services, and provide efficient and fair solutions to international commercial disputes. It could also vigorously transform and upgrade the shipping industry, focus on developing high value-added maritime services, build smart ports, and enhance its functions as an international trade center.

Hong Kong could become a connectivity hub for BRI functions. Hong Kong's strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world market are its greatest advantages in development. Hong Kong could make the best use of these advantages, deepen its cooperation with provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the mainland, particularly pursue coordinated development with GBA cities in the mainland, so as to combine their respective strengths and set sail together. For example, when taking on large-scale infrastructure projects, such as airports, subways and ports in other countries, Hong Kong enterprises could consider forming a consortium with enterprises in the mainland for joint bidding. Enterprises in the mainland could develop infrastructure and Hong Kong enterprises could conduct design and operation, so as to integrate their respective strengths, thus forming unique competitive advantages.

Hong Kong could cultivate new advantages in BRI people-to-people exchanges. Five of Hong Kong's universities have been ranked in the top 100 global universities and it has 15 national key laboratories, which provide valuable resources for Hong Kong to carry out education for the youth and scientific cooperation with relevant countries. Hong Kong could make good use of the favorable conditions in this regard, work with universities and youth groups in the mainland to carry out international people-to-people exchanges, cultivate more talents who are familiar with international rules and understand relevant national conditions, and consolidate civil and social foundation for BRI cooperation.

The Belt and Road is a path of win-win results, development and hope. Hong Kong belongs to China, and also to the world. Under the strong leadership of the central government, the firm support of the mainland of the country and the concerted efforts of people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, Hong Kong will certainly take new steps and make new contribution in a new journey of BRI cooperation and write a new chapter in Hong Kong's participation in the second "Golden Decade" of BRI cooperation.