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Leaders from Top-notch Enterprises Speak at “The Belt and Road Initiative – Combining Hard Power with Soft Power” Conference

2016-02-27

The Maritime Silk Road Society today (27 February) held a conference entitled “The Belt and Road Initiative – Combining Hard Power with Soft Power” featuring presentations by the top management of three leading Chinese enterprises in Hong Kong – Mr. Yue Yi, Vice Chairman & Chief Executive, BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited; Ir. Dr. Hu Jianhua, Executive Vice President, China Merchants Group Limited; and Mr. Luo Xi, Vice Chairman and President, China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd.

 

About 500 guests, including officials from the Central Government and the HKSAR Government, Consulates-General, and representatives of local and foreign chambers of commerce, various business sectors and the academia, attended the event held at the Conrad Hotel.

 

Ms. Qiu Hong, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, officiated at the conference which aimed at helping the public seize the developmental opportunities offered by “The Belt and Road Initiative”. Also officiating at the conference were Mrs. Regina Ip and Mr. Bernard Chan, Co-Chairs of the Maritime Silk Road Society, and Mr. Andrew Yao, Honorary President of the Society.

 

In her welcoming remarks, Mrs. Regina Ip said, “As it is seldom that the leaders of the three leading Chinese enterprises in Hong Kong are brought together to lay out their plans for the future, it is really our great honour to have Mr. Yue Yi, Ir. Dr. Hu Jianhua, and Mr. Luo Xi, as our speakers in a conference focusing on ‘The Belt and Road Initiative’. It is envisaged that the national initiative is a very long-term project and will have a transformational effect on this part of the world, if not the whole world, on completion.”

 

Mrs. Ip took the opportunity to thank Ms. Qiu Hong, the guest-of-honour of the conference, for her support of the Society and for presenting souvenirs to the speakers. In addition, she expressed her gratitude to Mr. Yue Yi, who was presented the Certificate of Appointment by Mr. Bernard Chan for being a Special Advisor of the Maritime Silk Road Society.

 

During the panel discussion, the speakers converged on the stage to share their insights on Hong Kong’s advantages and challenges and how Hong Kong people could make contributions to the nation’s grand vision. The conference concluded with the participation of guests who proactively raised questions related to the implementation of “The Belt and Road Initiative” and Hong Kong’s competitiveness.

 

Biography of Mr. Yue Yi

Mr. Yue obtained his Master’s Degree in Finance from Wuhan University. He is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (“BOCHK”). Mr. Yue is a member of the Strategy and Budget Committee of the Company and BOCHK, and is also Chairman of Nanyang Commercial Bank (NCB), NCB (China), Chiyu Banking Corporation, BOCG Life and BOCHK Charitable Foundation. Mr. Yue holds various public positions which include member of HKMA Exchange Fund Advisory Committee, member of Banking Advisory Committee and Bank Notes Issue Advisory Committee respectively. Since he joined BOCHK, Mr. Yue has further defined its strategic position and development strategies to proactively drive BOCHK’s transformation from a local bank to a regional bank. As a veteran banker with 35 years of experience, Mr. Yue is a strategic thinker with international vision and innovative spirit. He assumed various senior management positions at the domestic and foreign institutions of Bank of China Group, covering personal finance, corporate finance, financial markets, investment banking, and risk management. Mr. Yue was named the “Retail Banker of the Year” in China by The Asian Banker.

 

Biography of Ir. Dr. Hu Jianhua

Executive Vice President of China Merchants Group and is also the Chairman of each of China Merchants Logistics Group, China Nanshan Development (Group) Incorporation and Silk Road E-Merchants Company Limited, and the Vice-Chairman of China Merchants Holdings (International) Company Limited and COFCO&CM GRAIN EXCHANGE Company Limited. He graduated from the Dalian University of Technology in the PRC with a Bachelor’s Degree in Port and Waterway Engineering. He then obtained his Master’s Degree in Construction Management at the University of Birmingham of the United Kingdom and his Doctoral Degree in Business Administration at the University of South Australia. He is a Professorial Senior Engineer conferred by Ministry of Transport of China, a fellow member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (FHKIE) and a fellow member of Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors of the United Kingdom (FlnstCES) respectively. He was awarded 2013-2014 Outstanding Entrepreneur of China presented jointly by China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association. Before taking up his present position with China Merchants Group in April 2015, he was the Managing Director of China Merchants Holdings (International) Company Limited, Managing Director of China Harbor Engineering Company Limited, Deputy Chief Economist and General Manager of Overseas Division of China Harbor Engineering Company Group, Managing Director of Hong Kong Zhen Hua Engineering Co., Ltd. With more than 30 years overseas and local working experience, Ir. Dr. Hu has been responsible for ports and ports-related businesses operations in over 50 countries and regions, having substantial experience and leadership covering investment, development, construction and operation management of large infrastructure projects in ports, portside industrial parks/ free trade zones and international shipping centres.

 

Biography of Mr. Luo Xi

Mr. Luo is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of China Resources Group. He worked as the President and Vice Chairman of the Board of China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, Executive Director and Vice President of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Executive Director and Vice President of Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., and Assistant to the President of Agricultural Bank of China. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Graduate School of the People's Bank of China and is a Senior Economist.

 

About Maritime Silk Road Society

The Maritime Silk Road Society is a non-profit making organization. It was established in September 2015 to mobilize support for our nation’s “Belt and Road Initiative” and to identify new developmental opportunities for Hong Kong. For more detailed information on the objectives and activities of the Society, please visit the following website: http://maritimesilkroad.org.hk.

         

– End –

 

1. Mr. Bernard Chan presented the certificate of appreciation to Ms. Qiu Hong, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong.

 

2. Mr. Bernard Chan (right) presented the certificate of appointment to Mr. Yue Yi, Special Advisor of the Maritime Silk Road Society.

 

3. A group photograph of the officiating guests, speakers and representatives of the Maritime Silk Road Society.

 

4. Ir. Dr. Hu Jianhua speaking at the “Combining Hard Power with Soft Power” Conference.

 

5. Mr Yue Yi speaking at the “Combining Hard Power with Soft Power” Conference.

 

6. (From right to left) Mr. Bernard Chan, Ir. Dr. Hu Jianhua, Mr. Yue Yi, Mr. Luo Xi and Mr. Andrew Yao hosted the question and answer session.