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Opening Remarks by Mrs Regina Ip at the “Belt & Road Art and Culture Forum”

2022-09-23

Opening Remarks by the Honourable Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Hong Kong Executive Council, Legislative Council Member and Co-Chair of Maritime Silk Road Society at the Belt & Road Art and Culture Forum on 23 September 2022, Friday at AsiaWorld-Expo

 

Mr Leung Tin Fu (President of Paper Communication Exhibition Services), Mr Igor Sagitov (CG of Russian Federation), Mr Almas Seitakynov (CG of Republic of Kazakhstan), Mr Peyami Kalyoncu (CG of Turkiye), Mr Roberto Mabalot (Vice Consul Commercial of the Philippine Trade & Investment Center), Mr Joseph Chan, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

        Good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the “Belt & Road Art & Culture Forum” organised by the Paper Communication Exhibition Services and co-organised by the Maritime Silk Road Society. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Paper Communication for inviting the Maritime Silk Road Society to be a supporting organisation.

The Belt & Road Initiative

        The Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) was first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013. President Xi introduced The Silk Road Economic Belt concept during his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. A month later in Indonesia, President Xi proposed building a “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” to promote maritime cooperation. The Belt & Road action plan was intended to promote co-operation among countries and territories along the Belt and Road on five key principles with the objectives of promoting  1) Policy Coordination; (2) Facilities Connectivity; (3) Trade Facilitation ; (4) Financial Integration; and (5) People-to-people Bond.

        Since its launch in 2013, the BRI has inspired participation by 180 countries and international organisations. Although infrastructural projects and trade and economic collaboration led the way, over the years, the BRI has been expanded to cover expansion in tourism, humanitarian projects  and cultural exchanges.

Hong Kong’s Role in Supporting the Belt and Road

        In the Outline of the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and Vision 2035 of the People’s Republic of China published in March 2021, the Central Authorities confirmed support for Hong Kong’s development as “a centre for cultural and arts exchange”, apart from performing other hub functions. The Plan also urged the two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macau, to work together to “build a functional platform for the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative”.

        The importance attached to Hong Kong’s role in promoting the BRI is not hard to comprehend, considering Hong Kong’s excellent geographical position as a port of call for trading vessels shuttling along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, linking China’s eastern seaboard with Europe and Africa via South East Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Mid-East. From early times, Hong Kong has been well connected with countries and territories along the Maritime Silk Road, through trade and economic exchanges and the movement of people. Modern Hong Kong is well connected with leading business conglomerates in South East Asia and the overseas Chinese communities domiciled in these countries. Hong Kong Chinese of Fujian, Chiu Chow and Hakka origins have  longstanding kinship and business ties with their fellow countrymen in many South East Asian countries.

Hong Kong’s Cultural Deevlopment

        Hong Kong is well known to be a global financial, shipping and trading hub. It has also great potential for promoting cultural and arts exchange between Asia and the West, as envisioned in the 14th Five-Year Plan.  The new cultural facilities completed in recent years and the time-tested vibrancy, creativity and inquisitive spirit of Hong Kong people will take Hong Kong’s cultural endeavours to new heights. Fully aware of Hong Kong’s potential in arts and cultural development and exchange, Chief Executive Mr John Lee had promised, during his electoral campaign earlier this year, to foster Hong Kong into “a city of culture to promote a creative economy”.  He pledged to formulate  a comprehensive policy for the development of the arts and culture sector and creative industries, and the establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District as the cultural hub of the Greater Bay Area.

         The palace Museum, which opened on 3 July, would be the premier venue for exhibiting national cultural relics and works of art. It would not only showcase rich collections of national treasures but also aspires to become one of the world’s leading cultural institutions for promoting the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture. It would engage in dialogue with world civilisations through international partnership in exhibitions. Together with the M+ Museum of modern and contemporary visual culture, which also opened to the public earlier this year, Hong Kong is well endowed with world-class cultural facilities that combine the ancient with modern, and the East with the West.

        Hong Kong’s vibrant art scenes are not limited to the West Kowloon Cultural District,  Tai Kwun and PMQ in the Central District. They have grown organically all over the city, thanks to the rich blend of cultures imported by residents from all over the world. They are all over at SoHo, Sheung Wan and Sai Yin Pun as well as destinations that are evolving into art clusters in warehouse-sized former industrial buildings in Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Chai Wan, Kwun Tong and Fo Tan. Moreover, the Hong Kong Museum of Art re-opened in late 2019 after a four-year major expansion and renovation to welcome more overseas and local exhibitions. With all these exciting developments happening apace, Hong Kong is well poised to become a vibrant international centre for arts and cultural exchange.

        Hong Kong has also grown into a premier venue where art auction records are set. ArtTactic reported that the Hong Kong art market is the second largest contemporary art auction market in the world. In 2020, Hong Kong’s global market share rose from 18% in 2019 to 23% in 2020, overtaking London for the first time. According to the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, the global art market was valued at US$65 billion in 2021. The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two years has caused online sales of art and antiques to flourish, accounting for for approximately 20% of the total art market value. The growth in online art sales in 2021 was also driven by the sudden rise of the so-called crypto art, based on digital artworks authenticated with NFTs. With Hong Kong investors’ fervent interest in cryptos, and the emergence of a regulatory framework enabling investment in virtual assets, no doubt Hong Kong will play an increasingly important role in on-line art sales in future.

The Maritime Silk Road Society

        Ladies and gentlemen, may I take this opportunity to briefly introduce the Maritime Silk Road Society.  Inspired by President Xi’s vision of the BRI, a gigantic project to revitalise connectivity with countries along the Belt and Road  in the spirit of the early pioneers from ancient China, we decided to form a new organisation to promote people-to-people bonds, and imbue our young people with the outgoing and adventurous spirit of our historic pathfinders. For this reason, since 2016, MSRS has been organising summer internships for local undergraduate students to work in countries as far flung as Djibouti and Sri Lanka, so that they can be imbued with the daring and adventurous spirit of the trailblazers dating back to the first century before Christ.

        Entering its eighth year, MSRS  has successfully held numerous events to promote knowledge of the Arabic language and the Islamic culture, including country presentations on Pakistan and Iran, the historical development of Russia and the Five Central Asian Countries, and opportunities in Dubai Expo 2020. The Maritime Silk Road Society and Silk Road Economic Research Centre founded by Mr Joseph Chan have  co-organised  events to promote knowledge of Chinese Culture. I am pleased to record that this summer, MSRS and the Municipality of Lefkada in Greece have co-organised  the "Maritime Silk Road" Chinese Language Summer Course in Lefkada for the fourth consecutive year. Now that the health hazards caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are receding globally, I am confident that Hong Kong will be able to come back with a vengeance to play an ever more robust role in re-vitalising people-to-people bonds with Belt and Road countries and foster broader and deeper arts exchange and cultural interaction.

The “Belt & Road National Art & Culture Expo Incorporating The 4th Hong Kong International Arts & Collectibles Expo”

        Next year makes the tenth anniversary of the launch of the BRI. We will definitely make a valiant effort to revitalise community participation in this historic project of global significance. Today, with the opening of the Art and Culture Expo and the 4th version of the Hong Kong International Arts & Collectibles Expo, I note there are many exciting art and cultural activities taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo. One of the highlights is the “Awakening Desert: Hong Kong Outstanding Artists Exhibition”, featuring artworks by 150 emerging local artists. There will be an award-presentation ceremony for winners of  “The Hong Kong Primary & Secondary Students Chinese Paintings Competition”. Participants are welcome to enjoy performances including Ebru Paper Marbling demonstration by a Turkish Artist, singing and drumming by performers from Africa and free trial class of Chinese painting. Events this afternoon promise to provide a rich cultural experience  foreshadowing the shape of things to come.

        Last but not least, I would like to thank Paper Communication Exhibition Services again for overcoming challenges posed by the pandemic to organise this meaningful event. I wish the Expo a resounding success and a very pleasant and enjoyable afternoon for every participant. Thank you!