A business delegation led by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 1 to 5 June, strengthening economic ties between Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and Central Asia. Following this visit, the Alatau City Authority, a state body of Kazakhstan, promptly held the Alatau City Investment Round Table in Hong Kong on 11 June. The event, part of an official Kazakh visit to Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, reflects increasingly close ties and proactive efforts to build on the outcomes of the recent delegation.
The roundtable was attended by Chief Executive John Lee and Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev, along with representatives from government bodies, leading enterprises, financial institutions, and investors from Kazakhstan, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. Participants explored investment opportunities in Alatau City, a new greenfield project near Almaty, across sectors including fintech, the low-altitude economy, smart city development, and infrastructure.
Chief Executive John Lee said at the roundtable: "Kazakhstan's ambitious reforms and its open, welcoming attitude towards international partners were both welcome and impressive. Hong Kong is eager to build on this momentum, to explore wide-ranging business and investment co-operation with Kazakhstan - Alatau City very much included." He emphasized Hong Kong's unique advantages under "one country, two systems," combining the China advantage and the global advantage.
Silas Chu, Director of Exhibitions and Digital Business of HKTDC, noted the council's role in promoting Hong Kong as an international business platform through its global network of 51 offices. He highlighted the opening of an Almaty consultant office in 2018 and platforms such as the Belt and Road Summit and InnoEX to attract international investors and technology partners.
Templewater Limited, a business delegate from the Chief Executive-led mission, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DASCO Capital to explore establishing a fund supporting the development of Kazakhstan and the Alatau City Project.
The Central Asia visit yielded 96 MoUs and agreements, including 66 signed by the business delegation covering trade, investment, finance, technology, and aviation. Additionally, 15 cooperation agreements were signed at the government level, and 15 MoUs in academia and culture. These outcomes underscore Hong Kong’s role as a key platform for Mainland enterprises to go global and promote long-term collaboration with Central Asian markets.
The HKTDC will continue to follow up on key projects from the visit by providing professional business matching and support services, assisting enterprises in exploring new international opportunities through major conferences, business missions, and outreach initiatives.
