John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), addresses the opening ceremony of the Ninth Belt and Road Summit held in south China's Hong Kong, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)

Hong Kong has many strengths to leverage under the cooperation framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and has an important role to play in promoting sustainability, said John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Lee said this while addressing the opening ceremony of the Ninth Belt and Road Summit held in Hong Kong, co-organized by the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), on Wednesday.

The HKSAR, as China's most open international city, is "perfectly positioned to play a pivotal role" in the initiative, he said.

"Investors around the world, and that includes over 2,700 family offices here, can take full advantage of Hong Kong, and its broad range of professional services, from financial and legal services, to architectural, engineering, logistics and more, for their Belt and Road projects," Lee said.

Hong Kong can go on to leverage its technological innovation capabilities to nurture new quality productivity driven by green technology and green finance, he suggested.

HKTDC Chairman Peter KN Lam said that Hong Kong, as an important city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, enjoys connectivity with the vast mainland market. It can facilitate enterprises from Asia and other regions to invest in China, and mainland enterprises to do business overseas.

Li Yongjie, deputy international trade representative of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said that the central authorities will continue to support Hong Kong in elevating its status as an international financial, shipping and trading center, and further expand and harness Hong Kong's edges in participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

This year marks the summit's ninth consecutive edition in Hong Kong. Themed with "Building a Connected, Innovative and Green Belt and Road," the two-day summit gathered nearly 6,000 participants from more than 70 countries and regions, including over 80 policymakers and business leaders. It will continue to hold investment project promotion sessions and feature a special exhibition area.

Guests attend a panel discussion during the Ninth Belt and Road Summit held in south China's Hong Kong, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)