CE vows better ties with Belt and Road partners
Prospects are looking up for the nation's Belt and Road Initiative, Chief Executive John Lee said on Wednesday, as he vowed to foster better ties with partnering economies.  A decade ago, President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road vision to increase China's regional and international economic collaboration.  Addressing a forum about the initiative, Lee said more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations have signed agreements with the nation. "With the pandemic easing and the world largely back to normal, the future of Belt and Road is all the more promising, and that is good news for Hong Kong, a functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative," Lee said. "With our many compelling advantages under the One Country, Two Systems principle, we are the Belt and Road's pivotal gateway. We make things happen." The CE said his administration is working to build and renew ties with partnering economies.  "I'm determined to pursue rewarding collaboration between Hong Kong and economies along the Belt and Road, in trade and investment, innovation and technology, infrastructure development, and a whole lot more," he said.  "Hong Kong will continue to do what Hong Kong does best, connecting countries and economies, companies and people everywhere, to drive high-quality development of our country and the world."  Speaking at the same event, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong Liu Guangyuan outlined the city's role in the Belt and Road Initiative.  "At present, Hong Kong is in a critical period of new development. By participation in the Belt and Road cooperation, Hong Kong can help the country to build a new development paradigm and achieve high-standard opening up," Liu said.  "And at the same time, it can further integrate into national development and achieve better development of itself."