China’s vice-premier He Lifeng told Hong Kong’s elite last month that he had “some suggestions” for the territory — a list that included building closer ties with the Middle East.
Hong Kong should “further expand its circle of friends” by developing relationships in the region, he said. This week, it is taking an important step in its effort to do so. Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative Institute, which hosts the Gulf state’s so-called Davos in the Desert conference in Riyadh, opened its first Asia gathering in Hong Kong on Thursday.
John Lee, the city’s chief executive, said in a speech he was “very delighted” that Hong Kong was hosting the event, adding it was “yet another significant step forward in deepening ties between Hong Kong and the Middle East, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s $700bn Public Investment Fund, is in Hong Kong for the conference.