Hong Kong deepens ties with Belt and Road and Middle East through tech innovation

Paul Chan, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary, reported that the city’s connections with Belt and Road nations and the Global South have grown, now encompassing innovation and technology as well as finance. He pointed to an expanding partnership with the Middle East that includes industry-oriented projects, and said cooperation with Belt and Road regions is shifting from isolated initiatives to broader, integrated links. Chan cited the rise in Hong Kong startups—from over 1,500 in 2015 to more than 5,200 last year—as evidence of the city’s strengthening innovation ecosystem.

He added that Hong Kong’s strong scientific research capacity allows these cross-regional collaborations to extend into the I&T arena. By combining Hong Kong’s capabilities with the Greater Bay Area’s manufacturing scale and market size, the partnerships aim to generate commercial returns and high-quality development for all parties. The upcoming five-year plan and Policy Address will provide further detail for investors.