Hong Kong's cultural initiatives deepen Belt and Road relationships beyond infrastructure
Hong Kong is hosting cultural events, including museum exhibitions and concerts, as part of Belt and Road outreach. These activities aim to build trust and personal connections that support long-term cooperation. Experts argue that genuine cultural exchange, not propaganda, is key to credibility.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum has partnered with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, while its upcoming Silk Roads exhibition will merge artifacts from Paris's Guimet National Museum with Chinese collections. Meanwhile, the Philharmonic's September concert features Chopin, and PolyU's fashion show gathered 35 designers from 30 regions.
City University's Professor Zeng argues that cultural ties create trusted contacts for future negotiations, while museum director Dr Ng contends that civilizations thrive through cross-cultural encounters, explicitly rejecting the notion that Chinese art operates as a closed system.
These initiatives could bolster Hong Kong's role as a cultural intermediary, potentially fostering genuine cross-border trust among professionals and the public. By emphasizing mutual intelligibility, they may strengthen institutional credibility and encourage deeper academic and artistic collaboration. Conversely, if viewed as instrumentalized soft power, their impact could be limited, undermining the personal relationships needed to sustain long-term cooperation.