PH Consulate General in HK Seeks New Perspectives in HK Belt, Road Event

Deputy Consul General Roderico C. Atienza (leftmost) and Vice Consul Fatima G. Quintin (second from right) with officials of the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center namely Mr. Joseph Chan Nap-kee (second from left) and Mr. Anthony Lai Man Chun (rightmost) at the Belt and Road Conference: Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wanchai on 29 October 2018. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

HONG KONG 09 November 2018 – The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong found new perspectives at the Belt and Road Conference: Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wanchai on 29 October 2018.

The event, which was attended by Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong’s Consul Roderico C. Atienza and Vice Consul Fatima G. Quintin, drew the attendance of some 200 representatives from the consular corps, media, civil society and business sector. It is the fourth collaboration between China Daily and Silk Road Economic Development Research Center.

The conference discussed the opportunities on innovation and technology and the development of Hong Kong as the so-called intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

During his welcome remarks, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung stressed the importance of unleashing innovation and technology to boost economic development in the Greater Bay Area, especially in the context of the BRI. 

The Conference also presented the experiences of various countries namely, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe in the implementation of the BRI.

Other panelists included Hong Kong Legislative Council Member and Maritime Silk Road Society Co-Chair Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Lenovo Senior Vice President George He, and Director for HK and Pearl River Delta of John Swire & Sons (China) Limited Arnold Cheng from the private sector.

A highlight and unique feature of the event was the inclusion of secondary school student Jenkin Yuen from Wah Yan College Hong Kong, who raised as a concern of the Hong Kong youth’s lack of understanding of the BRI, primarily because of its absence in the education curriculum. He suggested educating the next generation about the BRI in order to ensure Hong Kong’s continuing role in it.

The Greater Bay Area development plan covers Hong Kong, Macau and the Guangdong region. The Area is being developed as China’s innovation and technology center to support the BRI. END

Panelists during the Belt and Road Conference: Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wanchai on 29 October 2018, included Hong Kong Legislative Council Member and Maritime Silk Road Society Co-Chair Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee (second from left), the consuls general of Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Myanmar (fourth t0 seventh from left), and a secondary school student from Wah Yan College-Hong Kong Jenkin Yuen (rightmost). (Hong Kong PCG photo)

For more information, visit www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/.