Secretary-General of ASEAN to Deliver Keynote Speech at the 11th Belt and Road Summit

Following his participation in the 2026 DEFA Foresight and Strategic Cooperation Pre-Summit Forum, organised by the ASEAN-Hong Kong Economic and Trade Cooperation Center (AHKETC), Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn (SG Dr. Kao) will attend the 11th Belt and Road Summit at the invitation of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on 9 September 2026. Held under the theme "High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Connecting Markets, Creating Opportunities," the Summit serves as an important platform that brings together government leaders, businesses, investors, and professional service providers to explore cooperation opportunities and business partnerships among Belt and Road economies and beyond.

SG Dr. Kao will deliver a keynote address that highlights the potential for deeper collaboration between ASEAN and Hong Kong, China, under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In particular, the BRI offers valuable opportunities for ASEAN to tap into global expertise, advanced technologies and innovative financing to support its development priorities. These include developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure, building a secure and interoperable regional digital ecosystem, advancing regional energy connectivity through initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid, and mobilising sustainable finance to support ASEAN's carbon neutrality, circular economy and blue economy ambitions.

SG Dr. Kao's participation in the 11th BRI Summit demonstrates the shared commitment of ASEAN and Hong Kong, China to deepen cooperation to fully unlock the potential of the partnership, building on the strong complementarities between ASEAN's growth ambitions and Hong Kong, China's strengths as a global financial, logistics, and professional services hub. He will share ASEAN's perspectives on how ASEAN and Hong Kong, China can leverage BRI to support ASEAN-led initiatives and translate these complementarities into practical cooperation, including strengthening resilient supply chains, advancing digital connectivity, enhancing regional energy interconnection, and mobilising financing for sustainability and the green transition.

On the sidelines of the Summit, SG Dr. Kao will also hold meetings with senior officials of Hong Kong, China, to discuss measures to advance the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China partnership and identify practical areas of cooperation to support regional economic integration, strengthen connectivity, foster innovation and sustainability, and contribute to ASEAN's long-term growth and development priorities under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.