Hong Kong outlines plans to become 'Belt and Road' resource hub for mainland firms
Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to become a central hub for mainland Chinese firms expanding overseas under the 'Belt and Road' initiative. The government has launched a task force and a cross-sector platform to provide tailored support, with plans for more overseas missions and resource allocation
Hong Kong's government has detailed its strategy to transform the city from a transit point for mainland Chinese companies expanding overseas into a dedicated resource-allocation hub for the 'Belt and Road' initiative. In a legislative answer on 4 November, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development outlined measures taken since a dedicated task force was established in October 2025.
The 'Mainland Enterprise Overseas Expansion Task Force', led by the commerce bureau, has created a three-stage strategy: 'bringing in' resources, preparing companies for overseas expansion, and 'going out'. In April 2026, it launched the 'GlobalGo' cross-sector professional services platform, which has gathered over 220 Hong Kong service providers offering legal, financial, and advisory services. The platform has handled around 300 inquiries from mainland firms, including many seeking advice on Belt and Road markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Overseas missions have been a key tool. In June 2026, the Chief Executive led a delegation of over 30 mainland firm representatives to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, resulting in 96 cooperation agreements worth over US$1.65 billion. In August, the commerce secretary led a mission to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where two memorandums of understanding were signed and investment agencies from Hong Kong and Malaysia agreed to boost bilateral investment.
The government plans to expand these efforts in 2027 with further missions to high-potential economies, including other Belt and Road countries. The task force will also deepen cooperation with industry associations in Hong Kong and mainland China, hold sector-specific briefings in various mainland provinces, and enhance the GlobalGo platform to include environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services.
Separately, the Commerce Bureau's 'Belt and Road Office' has been running initiatives since 2016, including the annual 'Belt and Road Summit'. The 11th summit in 2026 attracted over 6,200 participants and generated more than 60 memorandums of understanding, with new projects and transactions valued at over US$3.1 billion. The office also maintains a project database that has shared information on about 20 infrastructure projects with Hong Kong firms.
To cope with the potential demand from an estimated 60,000 mainland firms capable of expanding overseas, the government has approved additional resources and staffing for Invest Hong Kong to support the task force. The task force will prioritise support for strategically important firms while also assisting others through the GlobalGo platform and private-sector initiatives.
