"When 6,000 political and business elites discuss the Belt and Road Initiative, how can Shanghai and Hong Kong enterprises transform from 'bystander' into 'trends'?"

From September 10 to 11, 2025, the 10th "Belt and Road" Summit Forum set off a brainstorm at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The Shanghai Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce led 40 member companies to participate in the in-depth, from policy interpretation to project signing, from technological frontiers to industrial cooperation, this grand event not only demonstrated the hub value of Hong Kong as a "super contact person", but also allowed Shanghai and Hong Kong companies to see the infinite possibilities under the "Belt and Road" initiative.

1. Policy feast: What signals does the 6,000-person summit send?

This forum is themed "Cooperation to seek change and build the future together", attracting more than 90 national political and business leaders and more than 100 delegations to gather in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Li Jiachao revealed at the opening ceremony that the summit has promoted the implementation of more than 2,800 transnational projects in the past decade, covering more than 120 countries and regions. What is more worthy of attention is that the heads of ministries and commissions of the Ministry of Commerce, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the Development and Reform Commission and other ministries collectively spoke out, clearly supporting Hong Kong to build a functional platform for the "Belt and Road".

"These policies are not just talk about it." Chen Baojin, vice president of the chamber of commerce who attended the meeting, said, "From simplifying the cross-border investment process to setting up special funds, the country is paving the way for Hong Kong companies to 'go overseas'." For Shanghai-Hong Kong companies, this means that they can not only leverage Hong Kong's international network, but also share the industrial resources of the mainland.

2. Project implementation: Promote two cooperations in 48 hours

The "drug information" of the forum is not only in the speech, but also in the footsteps of visiting. On the morning of September 11, the Chamber of Commerce organized members to visit the China Manufacturer Association Testing Center (CMA ). An originally ordinary inspection actually led to the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOU) on the spot. "We have a crush on CMA 's professional capabilities in the field of cross-border quality inspection, and the other party needs our supply chain management experience." The representative of the contracted company said bluntly, "This kind of 'read-and-sign' efficiency is difficult to achieve in traditional chambers of commerce."

The afternoon trip to Cyberport made entrepreneurs even more excited. As Hong Kong's "Silicon Valley", there are more than 300 science and technology innovation companies gathered here, covering cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. During the visit, many Shanghai-Hong Kong companies and Cyberport teams reached preliminary cooperation intentions, and planned to jointly research key issues in smart cities, financial technology and other fields.

3. Shanghai-Hong Kong linkage: From "Two Cities" to "Global Network"

"In the past, Shanghai-Hong Kong cooperation was mostly 'Shanghai manufacturing Hong Kong channels', but now it needs to be upgraded to 'co-research and development global layout'." Chamber of Commerce President Zhang Guozheng concluded. During this event, member companies not only felt the country's determination to promote the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" initiative, but also saw their own positioning: Shanghai's advantages lie in its industrial foundation and innovation capabilities, while Hong Kong's strengths are international rules docking and risk management.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War said: "Those who are good at fighting will lead people to others but not to others." In the chess game of the "Belt and Road", if Shanghai and Hong Kong companies can use Hong Kong as the "bridgehead" and the Yangtze River Delta as the "big rear", they will definitely be able to seize the initiative in the reconstruction of the global industrial chain.

When the bell to close the forum rang, the 6,000 participants took away not only knowledge, but also the key to cooperation. This "Hong Kong Tour" by the Shanghai Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce may be a vivid footnote to the move of Chinese private enterprises from "regional competition" to "global cooperation". (Source: Shanghai Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce)