Completed Hong Kong Reading + Towards the Second Decade in Hong Kong

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of joining the “Hong Kong Reading+ 2026” program as one of the lead authors for a book talk on our new volume, "Towards the Second Decade: A Ten-Year Review of China’s Belt and Road Initiative", which was published in 2025.

Together with two co-authors Dr Hon Simon Hoey Lee & Derek Cheung, we revisited how the initiative has evolved over the past decade, the ways it has reshaped parts of the global landscape, and the challenges that lie ahead. Our dialogue at the event focused on three key dimensions.

First, we examined the transition into the second decade of Belt and Road cooperation, with an emphasis on “high-quality development” and “new quality productive forces”. In practical terms, this means moving from a Version 1.0 that was centred on hard infrastructure – bridges, ports, railways – to a Version 2.0 that increasingly features green energy, digital technologies, new energy vehicles, cross-border e‑commerce, and even space-related cooperation. Second, we discussed how this evolution is reshaping global development trajectories. Third, we turned to Hong Kong’s strategic role as a pivotal node in Belt and Road cooperation.

Our hope is that this book can offer policymakers, practitioners, and interested readers a more holistic perspective on the Belt and Road’s first decade, and help stimulate a more informed discussion on how Hong Kong – and the wider international community – can engage with its second decade in a more strategic and constructive way. If you are interested in the future direction of the Belt and Road, Hong Kong’s evolving role, or the implications of high-quality development and new productive forces for international cooperation, I would be delighted to continue the conversation.

If you are interested in the future direction of the Belt and Road, Hong Kong’s evolving role, or the implications of high-quality development and new productive forces for international cooperation, I would be delighted to continue the conversation.