Lam pledges stronger ties with Eurasian B&R nations

Hong Kong will continue to seek closer ties with Eurasian countries on the back of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told a Belt and Road forum on Friday.

The "Belt and Road Innovation and Development Forum - The Belt and Road and Eurasia: Reality, Prospects" is the first such forum to bring ambassadors of Eurasian countries into a dialog on prospects and challenges of the initiative.

Led by Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary General Rashid Alimov, a delegation of ambassadors to China - including those from Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan - gathered to discuss reality and prospects of cooperation among countries and regions in Eurasia against the backdrop of the initiative.

The chief executive delivered a keynote speech at the forum. "Central Asia has long been the ancient Silk Road's East-West bridge for goods and cultural exchange Similarly, Hong Kong has for centuries served as a converging point of East-West trade routes. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, that role is now expanding, creating new horizons for Hong Kong," she said.

Lam said Hong Kong had actively sought closer ties with Eurasian countries. "Last year, we signed an Air Services Agreement with Kazakhstan and, earlier this year, we entered into Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements with Russia and Belarus," Lam said.

Hong Kong has many strengths to offer in deepening economic ties with Eurasian countries, Lam added. She cited the government's initiative to cut profits tax rate on the first HK$2 million earned to 8.25 percent, half an already low level. Eurasian companies are most welcome to run their business here, the CE concluded.

Strongly praising the national strategy, Alimov told the forum: "As the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China just concluded, we firmly believe that China will continue to open up and apply its sustainable development to the world."

SCO member countries are key areas in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, Alimov said. India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members this year, taking the full-member count to eight. SCO will continue to open dialog within the region and focus on financing agriculture and infrastructure.

Bakhtiyor Saidov, ambassador of Uzbekistan to China, said the country's Belt and Road Initiative closely matched his country's development plan. "The key direction of the development of Uzbekistan in a five year period is the development and liberalization of the country's economy," he said.

"To ensure the stability of the country's currency and prices, the extension of foreign economy relations, the development of transport and logistics infrastructure are among our priorities. The government of Uzbekistan will provide all-round support to attract foreign direct investment, especially from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong."

With promising prospects in Eurasian cooperation, there are still challenges ahead; Masood Khalid, ambassador of Pakistan to China, mentioned terrorism, climate change and water scarcity along with other disruptive forces.

"These challenges will continue, what matters is the resolve and determination of international community to combat it collectivelyParticularly for SCO countries, we should join hands to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism. As each country has different capacities those with better technology, infrastructure and expertise should help out those countries less equipped," Khalid said.

Yet such grim challenges will not affect the full implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, he added. "We have come to realize the project is for the collective good of the region, with more contacts, links and connectivity we make, it helps to address the roots of conflicts and disputes."

evelyn@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 11/04/2017 page5)