Mr Saleumxay Kommasith addresses the 11th Hong Kong Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on September 9.

Laos seeks Belt and Road partner investment

The government has called on Belt and Road partners and businesses to invest in priority sectors as it seeks to strengthen regional connectivity and transform its economy.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Lao delegation, Mr Saleumxay Kommasith, made the call while attending the 11th Hong Kong Belt and Road Summit on Wednesday.
The summit, held under the theme “Advancing High-Quality Development – Embarking on a New Journey”, brought together more than 6,000 participants from over 80 countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Saleumxay praised the continued success of the summit and programmes under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
He highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector” and “super value-adder” in promoting trade, investment and regional connectivity.
Mr Saleumxay said the Laos-China Railway had been instrumental in changing Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked one since it opened in 2021.
The railway has helped reduce the time and cost of moving passengers and goods to international markets, while strengthening people-to-people links and contributing to poverty reduction, he said.
He welcomed the summit’s focus on high-quality development, saying this approach would help shift regional cooperation towards green innovation while supporting economic growth.
The approach also aligns with the goals of Laos’ 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026-2030, which identifies major breakthroughs.
These include transforming Laos into a land-linked country and logistics hub, integrating the country into regional supply chains, promoting digital transformation, and supporting a smooth and sustainable transition from Least Developed Country status.
Mr Saleumxay called on Belt and Road partner countries and businesses to consider investing in Laos’ priority development sectors.
These include trade and investment, tourism, modern industrialisation, digital connectivity, clean and renewable energy, human resource development and agriculture.
The call comes as Laos seeks to attract more investment to support economic development and boost production capacity.
In the first seven months of 2026, the government approved 34 projects in concession and controlled activities worth US$8.5 billion, up 68 percent from the same period in 2025. Actual capital inflows reached US$1.06 billion, according to a report delivered at an investment promotion and management conference last month.
Laos requires 636,178 billion kip in total investment during 2026-2030 to support its development plan. Private domestic and foreign investment is expected to provide 409,470 billion kip, or 64.4 percent of the total, highlighting the important role of businesses in supporting the country’s development goals.
Mr Saleumxay also held talks with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, to discuss bilateral cooperation, trade and investment opportunities and other issues of mutual interest.
He also met Hong Kong business representatives and attended the 2026 Laos-Hong Kong Business Consultative Forum.
The forum focused on strengthening cooperation between the business communities of Laos and Hong Kong in investment, clean energy and finance.
Mr Saleumxay also witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents between the two sides.
The 11th Hong Kong Belt and Road Summit provided Laos with an opportunity to promote its investment potential and highlight its growing role in regional connectivity and supply chains.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 11, 2026)