Hong Kong is striving to enhance its connectivity with countries under the Belt and Road Initiative by increasing flight frequencies to strategic destinations such as Xinjiang, Riyadh and Dallas, as well as launching new direct routes to second-tier Asean and Middle Eastern locations, the city’s chief for the national plan has said.
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In an exclusive interview with the Post, Commissioner for Belt and Road Nicholas Ho Lik-chi also said the global volatility brought by US President Donald Trump’s administration had forced more Western capital to shift eastward, enabling Hong Kong to stand out as a connector for companies in mainland China and other emerging markets.
Ho, a registered architect, was appointed in 2023 to coordinate the government’s efforts in promoting Hong Kong’s involvement in the initiative, a national strategy that links more than 140 economies across continents into a China-centred trade network.
He regarded the aviation push as critical in enhancing Hong Kong’s connectivity with countries under the belt and road plan, noting that it was a milestone for the city in the past year to launch direct flights to three strategic destinations – Riyadh, Xinjiang and Dallas – on top of the existing routes to more than 150 locations.
“We were able to create interim solutions to further develop these new markets in these new regions,” he said. “We have a mission to deep dive into Asean, Central Asia and the Middle East as our core development markets.”
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Cathay Pacific Airways’ relaunch of direct flights to Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, last October had served as a gateway to the Middle East, Ho said. At least nine nations in the region have signed agreements under the initiative.