Hong Kong ideal platform for Uzbek firms to spread wings globally, John Lee says

Hong Kong serves as an ideal platform to help Uzbek enterprises expand through its world-class professional services and international business environment, the city’s leader has told the Central Asian country’s prime minister as he wrapped up a five-day regional tour.

Sources said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Friday also invited Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov to be a keynote speaker at the coming Belt and Road Summit to be held in Hong Kong in September.

It was understood that during a meeting with the 70-strong delegation led by Lee, Aripov outlined dozens of collaborative projects with Hong Kong and assigned his ministers to follow up on them.

Several mainland Chinese and Hong Kong business representatives in the delegation expressed strong enthusiasm for the initiatives.

Among them was Peter Lee Ka-kit, co-chairman and managing director of Henderson Land Development, who noted that Hong Kong and China Gas Company, or Towngas, which he co-chairs, was highly interested in expanding its commercial operations in Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, John Lee acknowledged Uzbekistan’s active economic reforms in recent years.

He stressed that Hong Kong could help play a pivotal role as an international financial centre backed by a robust rule-of-law environment, a transparent regulatory regime, and an open market.