Central Asia can become a logistics hub for Hong Kong as wars in the Middle East and Europe persist, the Airport Authority chairman has said, pointing to a nearly fivefold year on year increase in cargo shipments between the city and two countries in the landlocked region.
Fred Lam Tin-fuk, who joined Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on his official trip to Central Asia last week, also said on Sunday that passenger traffic at Hong Kong’s airport could reach 70 million this year, recovering to nearly pre-pandemic levels.
“Central Asia could be the next Middle East, becoming a terminal connecting Asia and Europe,” he told a radio programme, noting the geographical advantages of a region situated between the Middle East and Russia, where cargo business has been disrupted by ongoing wars.
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“The strategic value [of partnering with Central Asia] is more than exploring an emerging market.”
Lam joined Lee’s trip to Kazakhstan while authority chief executive Vivian Cheung Kar-fay took part in the visit to Uzbekistan.
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Lee’s delegation signed 96 cooperation pacts and memorandums of understanding worth US$1.65 billion.