Liu Guangyuan hails fruitful Belt and Road trip
The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Liu Guangyuan, said delegates on an inspection trip to China’s interior provinces were encouraged by the momentum and the fruitful achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).  Liu had led a delegation of some 70 business leaders and consuls general to Henan and Shaanxi, witnessing first-hand the advancements made in the past decade. Wrapping up the week-long visit, he said participants – who mostly came from BRI partner countries – were impressed by the vibrancy of the inland cities they toured and how open they were. “In the past few days, we have seen the successful practice of high-end manufacturing, innovation-driven and green development in Henan and Shaanxi. We felt the strong driving force of promoting high-quality development in the central and western regions and the acceleration of high-level opening up,” he said. He also said the trip has shown to the world the spirit of the nation’s silk road strategy, which embodies peace, harmony and inclusivity. “The Silk Road spirit of blending and learning from each other, the Shaolin culture of co-existing in harmony, and the openness and inclusiveness of the prosperous Tang Dynasty have given our foreign friends a deeper understanding of China’s moral value and international position to put peace and harmony first. This is the cultural root of building a community with a shared future for mankind,” Liu said. During the trip, the delegates also visited the Yangjialing Revolutionary Site in Yanan, where they explored the “success code” of the century-old Communist Party. Liu added that foreign business chambers in Hong Kong should continue to play a part by building stronger ties with the mainland.  “As Hong Kong enters a new phase from stability to prosperity, foreign business leaders in the SAR can better utilise their strengths in investment and financing to further deepen cooperation with mainland enterprises, share open opportunities and development dividends, and join hands in the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road,” he said.