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CY Leung urges Hongkongers to extend generosity to belt and road countries - South China Morning Post

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Former city leader Leung Chun-ying has urged Hongkongers to extend their generosity to countries along the trade routes of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying Beijing’s strategy in the region goes beyond financial investment and technological progress and requires fostering relations between people.

Leung, also a vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, said moving the country to the centre stage of the world required encouraging kindness among people.

“The spirit of generosity and benevolence is worthy of promotion. Even people living in public housing have donated to disaster relief efforts in the past,” he told a radio programme on Sunday, adding that Hong Kong had begun its philanthropic endeavours earlier than mainland China.

Beijing’s strategy in the region goes beyond financial investment and technological progress, the former city leader has said. Photo: Edmond So

The belt and road strategy is Beijing’s ambitious plan to link economies in Asia, Europe and Africa into a China-centred trade network.

Leung noted that Hong Kong had many volunteer organisations and talent, but there were fewer opportunities for people to go abroad. He said he believed the initiative had opened up a new international landscape, becoming the most dynamic “public good” in the world.

“Some people, driven by their own interests, have been spreading false claims, such as suggesting that the initiative is aiming to create a debt trap,” he said. “But the fact is that it is not only about economics, but also emphasises people-to-people connectivity and sharing. It does not necessarily require the use of government resources.”

Hong Kong, Beijing pledge 15 billion yuan for belt and road investment platform

The GX Foundation, chaired by Leung, promotes humanitarian medical aid projects overseas. It provided 20 tons (18 tonnes) of epidemic prevention materials to Laos during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The foundation also initiated a cataract elimination campaign in the Southeast Asian country. According to Leung, it has completed 5,300 cases so far, enabling previously blind patients to regain their vision and a sense of independence.

He added that the foundation was currently preparing to undergo necessary procedures on the mainland to carry out public fundraising.

The GX Foundation spearheaded a cataract elimination campaign in Laos. Photo: Facebook/GX Foundation

Leung said that in the past five years, dozens of university students from Hong Kong had interned and participated in related work at the foundation, which had changed their perspectives on the world.

He stressed that such projects did not only require the participation of young people studying medicine and health, but also students in other disciplines such as social work or mechanical engineering.

Hong Kong can foster cultural exchanges under belt and road plan: John Lee

The former leader said that the city could play many roles in the trade initiative, which marked its 10th anniversary this year.

He highlighted Hong Kong’s strengths in combating corruption, which he said would assist the mainland in working with its partner countries in the initiative to build multilateral cooperation platforms covering energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tanks, media, culture and other fields.

This was one of the eight major steps Chinese President Xi Jinping announced during the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing last week.

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