9 October, 2025 Launch Ceremony (Translated via AI)
The "Silk Road Exploration to Laos" Sharing Session and the 10th Anniversary Launch Ceremony of "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative" was successfully held recently at the Lecture Hall of Sun Hung Kai Centre, Wan Chai. Distinguished guests in attendance included Mr. Nicholas HO, Commissioner for the Belt and Road; Ms. Phousamleth PHANKHAVONG, Deputy Consul of the Consulate General of Laos in Hong Kong; Ir Alkin KWONG, Chairman of the Hong Kong Professional & Senior Executive Association (HKPSEA); as well as senior representatives of "Belt and Road Pioneer" (BRP), such as Mr. Bernard Charnwut CHAN, Honorary Founding Chairman; Professor Herman HU Shao-ming, Honorary Chairman; Dr. Wilson CHAN Fung-cheung, Chairman; and Honorable CHAN Yung, Convenor of Hong Kong Deputies to the National People's Congress. They engaged in in-depth conversations with young students about the gains from cross-border inspections and discussed the future direction of youth practice under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Launch Ceremony: Guests Elaborate on BRI and Youth Mission
During the 10th Anniversary Launch Ceremony of "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative", officiating guests delivered speeches one after another, emphasizing the importance of youth participation in BRI construction:
Professor Herman HU reviewed the event's journey and pointed out that since the BRI was proposed in 2013, it has been joined by 166 countries and international organizations, covering over 70% of the world's countries, 60% of the global population, and contributing approximately one-third of the world's GDP, providing a new path for global connectivity. Since BRP launched the "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative" Comprehensive Ability Competition in 2017, it has led Hong Kong teachers and students to visit Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, benefiting more than 2,000 teachers and students. He encouraged young people to broaden their horizons, actively integrate into national development, and serve as BRI ambassadors—telling China's stories well while spreading Hong Kong's voice.
Mr. Nicholas HO affirmed BRP's achievements and the innovativeness of the Laos inspection. He mentioned that the China-Laos Railway links Laos with Kunming, reducing the original two-day journey to 8 hours and effectively unlocking regional economic potential. He stated that the HKSAR Government provides 1,400 places annually to support Hong Kong youth in internships and exchanges in BRI-participating countries. This year's Policy Address further incorporates a number of youth-related policies, encouraging young people to continue shining in BRI construction.
As Honorary Founding Chairman, Mr. Bernard Charnwut CHAN expressed his delight in witnessing the event's 10th anniversary. Over the past nine years, he has seen countless young people clarify their directions and seize international opportunities through this platform. He emphasized that adhering to the event for a decade is invaluable, and hoped that organizers, teachers, and students will pass on the baton—laying the foundation for individuals, empowering Hong Kong, and contributing to the country. He also expressed his wish to travel to Xinjiang with everyone next year.
Subsequently, guests and long-term participants took the stage together to press the electronic button, marking the official launch of the 10th anniversary activities of "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative".
Event Sharing: Young Students Share Insights from Laos Inspection
After the launch ceremony, the event entered the "Silk Road Exploration to Laos" sharing session, followed by the announcement of the "Demonstration Award" competition results and the "Essay Award" presentation. More than 40 young students who participated in the "Thailand-Laos-Yunnan" inspection shared their personal experiences centered on the China-Laos Railway, interpreting the practical significance of the BRI from four aspects:
1. Infrastructure Engine: Railway Connectivity
The China-Laos Railway started construction in phases between 2015 and 2016, with a total length of 1,035 kilometers. It is an electrified railway with a passenger speed of 160 km/h and a freight speed of 120 km/h. During construction, it faced challenges such as political and public opinion pressures from neighboring countries. After opening to traffic, efficiency has been greatly improved: the journey from Vientiane to Kunming has been shortened from two to three days to 4 hours, and the trip from Vientiane to Boten has been reduced from over ten hours of mountainous road travel to 3-4 hours.
2. Economic and Trade Link: Livelihood Cooperation
Since the railway's connectivity, cross-border cargo volume has exceeded 13 million tons, covering more than 3,000 types of commodities (including Lao rubber and coffee). Transportation costs have decreased by over 30% compared to road transport, and freight volume has increased 30 times. It has also driven 154 enterprises in the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone to form a "Laos-China processing, Southeast Asia sales" model, with an annual output value exceeding US$2 billion.
3. Cultural Bridge: Civilizational Exchange
At the Confucius Institute and Vientiane Secondary School, students witnessed the China-Laos Railway cooperating to offer Chinese language courses. Sixty percent of the project's employees are Laotians, and talents are cultivated through the "Chinese mentors guiding local trainees" model. Students admitted that they were initially worried about safety in Laos, but actually made local friends with whom they still maintain online communication, truly experiencing the meaning of "people-to-people bonds".
4. Future Outlook: Extending North to Central Asia
With the launch of the 10th anniversary plan of "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative", the project has set a new direction of "breaking out of Southeast Asia". Hong Kong youth can travel to Xinjiang and Central Asia—core regions of the BRI—where they can leverage their "Southeast Asia experience" to further understand the cooperation potential of the initiative's westward extension.
After the sharing, Professor Linda Chelan LI from City University officially announced the results of the "Demonstration Award", which was won by Yan Chai Hospital No.2 Secondary School. For the "Essay Award", eight students from the Silk Road Exploration to Laos delegation submitted a total of nine works (see details at: https://www.brp.com.hk/a-list/13345-cht). These nine essays have received high praise for their integration of youth perspectives with national strategies—avoiding losing students' true feelings due to the grand theme, and not degenerating into travelogues by focusing solely on personal experiences. Especially in the current era of "anti-AI writing", they are supported by specific scenarios, real characters, and personalized insights, fully demonstrating students' in-depth understanding of the BRI and their sense of national identity. As the output of the exchange activity, they are of high quality and can be regarded as excellent student works. Eventually, Cici PANG, a Form 6 student from Yan Chai Hospital Law Chan Chor Si College, won the "Essay Award" with her work "Language and Destiny: Insights from the Confucius Institute in Laos". The winning institutions and individuals of the two awards were each presented with special Lao exchange souvenirs as prizes, while other students who shared on-site and all outstanding essay authors were awarded certificates of merit.
After the event, participants lingered to take photos as mementos. In just a few months, young students have achieved remarkable growth. Mentors once again encouraged students to solidify their textbook knowledge and prepare for next year's competition. Notably, a group of previous award winners (who also serve as "Belt and Road Pioneer Ambassadors" on the Executive Committee) have begun leading new members to prepare for the 10th "My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative" event, injecting new vitality into the project's inheritance.
Media Coverage
- Wen Wei Po: "Three Seniors—Bernard Charnwut CHAN, Herman HU, and CHAN Yung—Lead Youth to Understand the BRI as It Enters Its 10th Anniversary"
- HK01: "Belt and Road Pioneer Youth Exchange Activity Enters 10th Anniversary, Plans to Expand to Xinjiang and Central Asia"
- Hong Kong Commercial Daily: "Three Seniors Lead Youth to Understand the BRI as It Approaches Its 10th Anniversary"
- HKPSEA: "Laos Silk Road Journey Sharing Session and 10th Anniversary Launch Ceremony of 'My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative'"
- HKong.hk: "Three Seniors—Bernard Charnwut Chan, Herman Hu, and Chan Yong—Lead Youth to Understand the 'Belt and Road' as It Enters Its 10th Anniversary"
- Blueberry Daily: "10th Anniversary Launch Ceremony of 'My Interfaces with the Belt and Road Initiative': Sharing Experiences of Traveling Ten Thousand Miles"
