Background
The Belt and Road Initiative, launched by the Chinese government in 2013, has been implemented at an accelerated speed over the past five years.
The aim is to achieve policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration,
and the forging of people-to-people bonds across countries through multilateral mechanisms and multilevel platforms.
Besides the construction of infrastructure on a massive scale and a vast exchange of resources, the Belt and Road Initiative will profoundly influence
the international objectives of climate protection and the promotion of sustainable development.
In the national document entitled
Guidance on
Promoting Green Belt and Road, put forward by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in April 2017,
the following principles of an ecological civilization were laid out as the direction to move towards under the Belt and Road Initiative:
Promoting global cooperation in a low-carbon economy, ecological conservation, technological exchanges, law enforcement, effective management,
green production, free finance, and green consumerism. China also pledged to ensure that the Belt and Road Initiative
will be in line with its environmental objectives as set out in the Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing in May 2017.
The National Development and Reform Commission signed an Action Plan for the Belt
and Road Initiative with the United Nations Development Programme. The aim behind this collaboration is to align
and accelerate the sustainable development with efforts from the Belt and Road Initiative and to link up Belt and Road
countries to achieve a common understanding on policies and regulations. In the deliberation and execution of policies
relating to sustainable development, it is imperative to explore opportunities in the area of technological innovation
and to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the experiences, achievements, and lessons of sustainable development in the
implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Conference Objectives
The International Conference on Global Sustainability and the Belt and Road Initiative: Engaging the World from Hong Kong is a one-day event (27 April 2018)
co-organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, the Global China Research Programme, and the Department of Government and Public Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
It will bring together scholars, policy-makers, members of think tanks, professionals, and business people from Hong Kong, Mainland China, the Belt and Road regions,
and all over the world, to share research endeavours and exchange ideas. The networking and mental nourishment from the conference will spark innovative ideas for
the benefit of the regions of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The objectives of the conference are:
- To evaluate policy coordination in the areas of finance, energy, and sustainable development in the Belt and Road regions;
- To study the opportunities and challenges in connection with sustainable development projects in the Belt and Road regions, and the implementation of such projects; and
- To foster and strengthen various academic, business, cultural, and social linkages between China and the Belt and Road countries, with a special emphasis on Hong Kong's special roles, functions, and contributions.
Organizing Committee
Chairpersons
| Prof. Fanny M. Cheung | Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Co-Director, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Prof. Ying-yi Hong | Choh-Ming Li Professor of Marketing; Co-Convenor, Global China Research Programme,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
Committee Members
| Prof. Anthony Y. H. Fung | Co-Director, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Prof. Carlos W. H. Lo | Head and Professor, Department of Government and Public Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Prof. Liugang Sheng | Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Prof. Yuan Xu | Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
Coordinators
| Ms Po-san Wan | Research Officer, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Dr Victor Zheng | Assistant Director, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
