Hong Kong, as a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, and with its unique geopolitical position, can help the Chinese mainland implement global governance initiatives, and promote dialogue, exchange and pragmatic cooperation at the APEC leaders’ summit to be held in Shenzhen later this year, panelists told the Global Prosperity Summit 2026 being held in the special administrative region.

The two-day conference, which kicked off on Tuesday, is organized by Hong Kong think-tank, the Savantas Policy Institute, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies and the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong is an international metropolis connecting the Chinese mainland and the world, and brings together Eastern and Western cultures. It is a major hub for finance, trade and shipping, as well as an important bridge for exchanges between civilizations, and  therefore, it is most timely and fitting to discuss global governance here in Hong Kong,” said Han Zhiqiang, vice-president of the China Public Diplomacy Association -- a national-level, non-profit-making social organization focusing on public diplomacy in China.

China proposed a global governance initiative in September last year with the core principles of sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, people-centeredness and an action-oriented approach.

“Last year, the Chinese mainland and like-minded countries jointly established the International Organization for Mediation here in Hong Kong. To date, more than 40 countries from six continents have signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation. The organization will be a new platform for advancing the rule of law in global governance,” Han said in a keynote address.

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“Hong Kong stands at the intersection of East and West, tradition and innovation, global capital and national development, and can serve as a platform for dialogue, exchange and pragmatic cooperation,” said Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee who chairs the Savantas Policy Institute.

Ip, who is also convener of non-official members of the HKSAR’s Executive Council, said in welcoming remarks the urgency of such dialogue has rarely been greater as the international environment has become markedly more uncertain and volatile, with profound implications for economics, businesses and ordinary people everywhere.

“Hong Kong continues to stand out as an oasis of stability, connectivity and opportunity with the support of the central government. The city remains deeply connected to global markets while also undertaking deeper reflections on its own long-term development and future positioning,” she said.

Besides the traditional platform role, panelists at the summit emphasized that Hong Kong can also play a pivotal part at the upcoming APEC leaders’ summit.

China will host the 33rd APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in November this year, along with the APEC CEO Summit and the joint ministerial meeting of foreign and trade ministers.

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“As China is the host of APEC 2026, we look forward to working with all parties to advance the construction of the Asia-Pacific community and the free trade area of the Asia-Pacific, leading new development in the Asia-Pacific region,” Han said.

“In addition to the leaders, ministerial, senior officials and city levels, there could be more cooperation, such as at the think-tank level that has been generating many new ideas. Think-tanks have the capacity to do research and generate forward-looking ideas,” Ip said.

Li Kaisheng, vice-president of the SIIS -- a mainland government-affiliated think-tank dedicated to international studies -- said Hong Kong can also help to promote the multilateral, multilayered and multidimensional APEC framework.

“Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as other cities, are usually centers of population, economy and innovation, so they are very important,” he said.