Chief Executive CY Leung held talks with UK Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin in London on transport management issues yesterday.
Mr Leung noted that the Mainland's Belt & Road initiative will boost infrastructure development in the region, while Hong Kong's talented and experienced professionals can contribute to the Belt & Road countries' infrastructure development as well.
In his keynote speech to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's annual dinner in London, Mr Leung said that Hong Kong's institutional strengths work hand-in-hand with the "one country, two systems" arrangement that the city enjoys and that together, they have shaped an economy without precedent and a people powered by the twin engines of China and the world.
"We are blessed with a pool of multilingual, multicultural and multitalented professionals in a wide spectrum of industries. Banking, financing, accounting, law, dispute resolution, construction, infrastructure management, trading, logistics, and information & communications technology. All these make Hong Kong the most desirable headquarters backup hub and global operational support centre, as well as an ideal training centre, for the Belt & Road," Mr Leung said.
He added that Hong Kong's legal institutions remain its foundation stone, noting that the common law system, independent judiciary, rule of law and level playing field for business have helped make Hong Kong the freest economy in the world.
