Hong Kong’s arts hub to welcome works, shows from top institutions in France, Qatar and Greater Bay Area in coming years, as John Lee touts East-West role

“This event and your welcome presence here reflects Hong Kong’s long-standing role as the mounting cultural bridge between East and West,” he said.

“Hong Kong is the only city in the world that enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. That is why we are committed to capitalise on our unparalleled advantages and develop Hong Kong into an East meets West centre for international cultural exchange.”

The conference is the latest mega event in Hong Kong after the new domestic national security law took effect on Saturday, along with the One Earth Summit, a global conference on sustainability transformation.

The Milken Institute’s inaugural Global Investors’ Symposium will also take place on Tuesday, followed by Art Basel and Art Central later this week.

Earlier in the day, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the government’s efforts to explain the law to foreign communities would continue.

“Seeing is believing,” he said, adding he expected that increased visits by foreigners for the city’s recent mega events could mitigate the negative impact of Western “smears”.

At the opening of the International Cultural Summit, Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the authority that manages the arts hub, said: “With this unique cultural and historical background of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong will continue to expand our international endeavours.”

He said the summit provided a platform for sharing, with insights and partnerships contributing to the “sustainable development of arts and culture on a global scale”.

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority on Monday announced the Hong Kong Palace Museum was planning an exhibition in collaboration with the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon, which is expected to open in December 2024. The special showing will examine the cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France, mainly in the 18th century.

Newly announced exhibitions for 2025 include collaborations with the Musee National Picasso-Paris and Qatar Museums.

Will top-class summit put Hong Kong on global cultural map?

The authority also said that during the fourth Greater Bay Area Chinese Theatre Cultural Festival in June, West Kowloon’s Xiqu Centre will collaborate with the China Theatre Association to present a selection of classic excerpts, showcasing the heritage of the country’s traditional theatre performances.

The summit kicked off Sunday night, with the top brass of museums and cultural institutions from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Qatar, Australia, Colombia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, mainland China and more attending a welcome dinner at the Hong Kong Palace Museum ahead of two days of panel discussions at the arts hub.

The West Kowloon Cultural District signed 21 memorandums of understanding with the institutions, whose attendees were present at the summit, paving the way for collaborations in areas such as exhibitions, collection sharing, conservation, digitalisation and scientific research, as well as educational and exchange programmes for arts administrators and artists.