Hong Kong should make most of belt and road opportunities, says city’s former leader CY Leung

Now vice-chairman of top advisory body to Beijing, Leung believes new corridor to Singapore will be immune to impact of trade war

Former chief executive dismisses US attacks on initiative as misunderstanding of strategy

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Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying speaks at the One Country Two Systems Research Institute office. Photo: Tory Ho

Published: 9:38pm, 21 Nov 2018Updated: 7:01am, 22 Nov 2018

Hong Kong should leverage its strengths in a new trade corridor linking western China with Singapore, former chief executive Leung Chun-ying has urged, saying the route would be immune from the trade war between the United States and China.

Leung, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, also dismissed the US’ attacks on Beijing’s “Belt and Road Initiative” during the recent Apec summit as a misunderstanding of China’s international trade strategy.

The vice-chairman of China’s top advisory body said the construction of the “southern transport corridor”, under belt and road, China’s plan to grow global trade, was an example of multilateral cooperation that would benefit China, Singapore and other economies.

A map of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s strategy for growing global trade. Photo: Tory Ho

The “southern transport corridor”, proposed by mainland authorities and Singapore, would connect the industrial municipality of Chongqing in southwestern China, with the seaports of Guangxi, a region bordering Vietnam, and eventually Singapore.

In recent years, Singapore has been working with China to build the trade route, with a Singaporean shipping company announcing its plan to invest 10 billion yuan (US$1.59 billion) in Guangxi to turn it into a “world-class” logistics hub this year.