Hong Kong China News Agency, June 5 — A trade delegation led by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee and organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council concluded its visit to Kazakhstan as its first stop from June 1 to 3, and then paid a two-day visit to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on June 4 and 5, marking the final leg of its Central Asia tour. The Trade Development Council stated that, through trade missions alone, 66 memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements have been signed, and it will follow up diligently on the key projects secured during the visits.

On June 1, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (right) in Astana, Kazakhstan, to exchange views on deepening bilateral relations. Photo by Hong Kong China News Agency

The HKTDC stated that the 66 memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements cover areas such as trade and economics, investment, finance, science and technology, and aviation. In addition, at the governmental level, 15 further cooperation agreements were signed, while non‑delegation members also concluded 15 memoranda of understanding in academic, cultural, and other fields. Altogether, this visit resulted in the conclusion of 96 memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements, laying a solid foundation for deepening economic and trade ties among Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Hui Shun-ming, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, noted that this trip to Central Asia yielded fruitful results, further reaffirming the trust that Central Asian countries place in Hong Kong’s role as a bridge. Leveraging its international reputation, robust institutional framework, and world-class professional services, Hong Kong serves as both a pivotal hub for mainland enterprises “going global” and a strategic gateway for overseas companies seeking to enter the Chinese market. This two-way flow of “attracting investment in and facilitating outward expansion” fully underscores Hong Kong’s irreplaceable role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Furthermore, during the visit, Cyberport signed memoranda of understanding with Kazakhstan’s Astana Hub and Uzbekistan’s Information Technology Park, establishing strategic partnerships with two leading innovation and technology platforms in the two countries to promote hub-to-hub collaboration and jointly seize opportunities in emerging markets.

Hong Kong Cyberport Chairman Chan Sai-ming stated that Central Asia is a strategically significant and vital market under the Belt and Road Initiative. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are vigorously advancing digital transformation, digital upgrading, and technological innovation. From national artificial intelligence roadmaps to large-scale digital infrastructure projects, they are demonstrating strong growth momentum, with a pressing demand for cutting-edge science and technology solutions and immense market potential. (The End)