Passengers arrive at Hung Hom station by a Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train in Hong Kong in this file photo. Xinhua

Several key infrastructure projects, including a high-speed rail and a cross-sea bridge, will help Hong Kong to better connect with the mainland market, said a senior Hong Kong trade promoter.

Referring to one of the projects under construction — the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, Ralph Chow, Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s regional director for Americas, said: “That will help Hong Kong to connect better with the surrounding cities in the region, help Hong Kong to maintain its status as the gateway to the mainland market... and more importantly, a lot of overseas companies will also get access to the mainland market more conveniently through the Hong Kong platform.”

Noting that the mainland market was essential for Hong Kong’s sustained stability and prosperity in the past two decades, Chow said it is important to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to reinforce people’s confidence in the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Obviously the mainland offers tremendous business opportunities for both Hong Kong and international businessmen, so I think they obviously are quite comfortable to operate through the Hong Kong platform in accessing the mainland market,” he said.

“Well, I think our integration with the mainland economy will continue. We’ll continue to serve as the gateway to the mainland and also to other Asian markets,” he said.

Currently, nearly 60 percent of Chinese mainland outbound investment goes through Hong Kong which serves as a “very useful and effective conduit for the two-way business between the mainland and the rest of the world,” he said.

Chow believes Hong Kong’s role as a gateway will be further strengthened as the Central Government pushes forward the Belt and Road Initiative that aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa.

On one hand, Hong Kong has a lot of professional services that can help companies invest or get involved in the projects of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

On the other hand, Hong Kong is a global financial center, and a lot of projects planned as part of the Belt and Road infrastructure network would need financing, and Hong Kong will be able to help, said Chow.(Xinhua)