Collaborate2Win campaign promotes Hong Kong's professional services in Central Asia

HONG KONG, August 31, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - 29 August 2026, the ‘Collaborate2Win – Hong Kong’s Professional Services – Your Partner for Global Success’ promotion campaign, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was held from 24 to 28 August. During the campaign, Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, led a high-level delegation on a visit to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This built on the outcomes of the Chief Executive’s delegation visit to Central Asia in June, further deepening cooperation between Hong Kong and the region.

The ‘Collaborate2Win – Hong Kong’s Professional Services – Your Partner for Global Success’ promotion campaign, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was held from 24 to 28 August. During the campaign, Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, led a high-level delegation on a visit to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The delegation comprised representatives from Hong Kong’s professional services sectors, including legal, financial and trade-related organisations, as well as legal professionals from Xinjiang. The delegation promoted the strengths of Hong Kong's professional services through site visits, business exchanges and thematic seminars. It fostered exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and Central Asia in related fields, while jointly exploring opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Collaborate2Win seminar, one of the campaign’s key events, was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 26 August. In his opening remarks, Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, said: “While Hong Kong is a leading common law jurisdiction providing reliable and top quality international legal services, the city has been making tremendous efforts to use its common law advantages to maintain and promote Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre. Hong Kong can be Kazakhstan's important and even indispensable partner in view of its unique statue as a premier financial hub with common law advantages.”

HKTDC Associate Executive Director Anna Cheung said: “The HKTDC has long been committed to promoting global trade and investment through international conferences, exhibitions and business matching as well as a wide range of overseas promotional activities. We help businesses explore new markets and seize emerging opportunities, while advancing the ‘hub-to-hub’ cooperation model. By leveraging Kazakhstan’s role as a gateway to Central Asia and Hong Kong’s unique strengths as a superconnector and super value-adder linking the Chinese Mainland with the rest of the world, we facilitate closer economic and trade ties between regions.”

Ms Cheung added: “The 11th Belt and Road Summit, jointly organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government and HKTDC, will be held in Hong Kong on 9 and 10 September. The Summit will bring together government officials, business leaders and representatives of professional services organisations from countries and regions along the Belt and Road. The event will provide a platform to explore collaboration opportunities, facilitate business matching and promote project partnerships. One of the focus areas for this year’s summit will be the Central Asian market. We look forward to welcoming more delegates from Central Asia to Hong Kong and working together to take cross-regional cooperation to new heights.”

The Collaborate2Win seminar in Kazakhstan, themed ‘Hong Kong – A Premier Financial Hub with Common Law Advantages – Your Indispensable Partner for Global Success’, featured remarks by Umiraliyev Zhandosv Zhanibekovich, First Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Su Fangqiu, the Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Almaty. It also brought together speakers from the government and the financial, legal, tax and international arbitration sectors.

Topics discussed included Hong Kong’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative, the latest developments in Hong Kong as an international financial centre, how the common law system safeguards and facilitates corporate financing and investment activities, the advantages of conducting tax planning through Hong Kong, and the city’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. The seminar, together with the networking luncheon that followed, attracted more than 160 participants.

During the visit, the delegation met with a range of government authorities and industry organisations.

In Xinjiang, the delegation met with Chen Xiaojiang, Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee, Liu Jiansheng, Party Secretary of the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Naibijiang Yibulayimu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director-General of the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

In Kazakhstan, the delegation visited the Shaanxi Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan and exchanged views with Mainland enterprises and law firms operating in the country. The discussions provided insights into the local business and legal services environment and helped Hong Kong's professional services sector better understand the support that Mainland enterprises need to expand overseas.

In Uzbekistan, the delegation met with Yu Jun, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Umid Abidhadjaev, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, and Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, as well as the China Enterprise Association in Uzbekistan, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and Tashkent International Arbitration Centre, and the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan. During these exchanges, participants discussed ways to strengthen economic and trade ties as well as cooperation in professional services between Hong Kong and Central Asia. Participants also explored opportunities in cross-border investment, legal services and business development.

During its stay in Uzbekistan, the delegation also visited Tashkent State University of Law and the Islamic Civilization Center. These visits provided valuable insights into the latest developments in legal talent development and international exchange, cultural preservation, and urban development. Further, they strengthened economic and trade ties between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.

Photo download: https://bit.ly/46u5drs

The ‘Collaborate2Win – Hong Kong’s Professional Services – Your Partner for Global Success’ promotion campaign, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, was held from 24 to 28 August. During the campaign, Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government, led a high-level delegation on a visit to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The Collaborate2Win seminar, one of the campaign’s key events, was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 26 August.

Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government

Anna Cheung, HKTDC Associate Executive Director

In Kazakhstan, the delegation exchanged views with Mainland enterprises and law firms operating in the country.

The delegation visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and Tashkent International Arbitration Centre.

The delegation met with Umid Abidhadjaev, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan

Media enquiries

HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Johnny Tsui Tel: (852) 2584 4395 Email: johnny.cy.tsui@hktdc.org

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The HKTDC is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in the Chinese Mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels.