Belt and Road Forum 2023 – Brave New World

On 14th April our Center jointly organized the 2023 Belt and Road Forum " Brave New World " together with the Maritime Silk Road Society and the One Belt One Road Research Institute of Hong Kong Chu Hai College of Higher Education to mark the 10th Anniversary of President Xi Jinping ' Belt and Road Initiatives. 

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The Financial Secretary of HKSAR Mr. Paul Chan stand in the last moment for Chief Executive Mr. John Lee who had to attend to an urgent arrangement to deliver a key note speech in the Forum. He was equally enthusiastic in his talk and ever encouraging to the development of the Belt and Road Initiatives. 

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We have also the honour to have three heavy weights to talk about their respective country's involvement in the Belt and Road development.  Ambassador V. Norov, retired Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan who was also former Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisations; Ambassador Sihasak Phiangketkeow  Advisor for Foreign Affairs of Office of Thailand 's Eastern Corridor Special Development Zone and a former Permanent Secretary of Thai Foreign Service and also former Consul General of Thailand to Hong Kong and Macau and last not the least Professor Herminio Harry Lopez Roque Jr. former Spokesman to President Rodrigo Duterte. He is a law professor and a practicing lawyer in the Philippines.  

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They gave their very thorough and heart felt talk about their Belt and Road views and request for their countries. 

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Our SAR government 's Mr. Philip Yung Director General of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises joined Consul Generals Mr. Bilal Ahmad Butt and Mr. Peyami Kalyoncu of Pakistan and Turkyie respectively share a moment of their thoughts of what Hong Kong can do for their Belt and Road development. 

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The Highlights of the Forum can when the two-panel discussions on the future of Hong Kong 's role in the Belt and Road development and how we can retain talents to stay on and also to attract talents to come into Hong Kong to strengthen the professional contingents of Hong Kong talent markets. 
Johnny Hon a successful businessman and academia and Edward Liu a Hong Kong, Mainland and UK qualified lawyer moderated the two panels respectively. They were joined by seasoned Private equities investor Stephen Law, Venture capitalist and first Tajik graduate of the University of Hong Kong Furuzonfar Zehni, veteran law practitioner and a Rhodes Scholar Ms Ferheen Mahmoned and a Belt and Road Master degree holder Nick Goldup who against all odds came to Hong Kong for his graduate studies during the heyday of the Convid pandemic in 2020, University of Hong Kong PhD Student Sadia Manzoor, Olga Bogaichuk a young mother originally from Ukraine but emigrated to Russia when she was a young teen, Diana Tai, a vocational educationist from the largest trade union of  Hong Kong the Federation of Trade Union. The two-panel discussions were very informative and very cordially shared of their experiences and wish.  

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Our Chairman Joseph Chan gave a closing remark to call it a day and wish to see each others and the audience soonest in the next event. 

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This Forum could not have been successful without MC Ms Julia Charlton who is a well known capital markets lawyer I'm Homg Kong and a ln advocate to make Hong Kong a truly global financial markets by inviting more foreign companies to get listed in Hong Kong in particular those from the Belt and Road countries. 

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We wish to thank all the unknown heroes that contributed tremendously in the preparations of this Forum. Thanks to our Joint organizers Maritime Silk Road Society and One Belt One Road Research Institute of Hong Kong Chu Hai College for their sincere cooperation in this vital event.