HONG KONG, June 3 (Reuters) - Hong Kong’s leader arrived in Uzbekistan on Wednesday after visiting Kazakhstan, leading his government’s largest-ever delegation on a tour to promote the Chinese-ruled city as a financial and business gateway to China and Southeast Asia.
The visit by Chief Executive John Lee and a 70-member contingent that includes 40 business leaders comes as Hong Kong aims to link up resource-rich nations along Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative with China’s largest offshore finance hub, to boost trade and finance activities amid rising geopolitical tensions and surging demand for strategic natural resources.
Lee, who is in Uzbekistan until Friday after kicking off the trip in Kazakhstan on Monday, said he hopes to “deepen collaboration in trade and investment promotion, financial, information and technology services, as well as culture and tourism.”
Hong Kong will play the role of a “super-connector” and a “super-value-adder,” Lee said, helping Central Asian companies explore markets in mainland China and wider Asia, while enabling Hong Kong and mainland firms to “go global.”
Singapore has also courted Central Asian countries in recent years, positioning itself as a gateway to Southeast Asia.
To bolster Hong Kong’s links to the region, Cathay Pacific announced that it will restart flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s mountainous metropolis, in the first quarter of 2027.
The carrier plans to operate three flights per week, making it the only direct service linking Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.
GROWING TRADE TIES
Hong Kong’s economic and trade exchanges with Central Asia have grown rapidly in recent years. Total merchandise trade reached over $320 million in 2025, up 27% compared with 2020, according to official data.
Lee said Hong Kong is developing new growth areas, including a central clearing system for gold planned for trial operations this year, as well as a full-chain network spanning trading, storage, refining and financial instruments.
An example of growing ties is Jiaxin International Resources Investment, which operates a major tungsten mining project in Kazakhstan.
The company raised HK$1.2 billion ($153.1 million) last August through a simultaneous debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) and the Astana International Exchange (AIX).
Shares of the miner, which is incorporated in Hong Kong and backed by two major Chinese state-owned enterprises, have surged by nearly 290% since their debut, driven by global supply shortages and rising prices for the strategic metal.
($1 = 7.8363 Hong Kong dollars)
(Reporting by Farah Master and Selena Li; Editing by Kevin Buckland)
