“We are witnessing growing geopolitical complexity around the world. In times like these, culture matters more than ever. Culture transcends borders,” said Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, at the opening ceremony of this year’s Hong Kong International Cultural Summit on Monday. 

The remark offered one of the summit’s few, curated nods to the destabilizing effects of the spiraling U.S.–Israel–Iran war on global transport and energy flows. But the implication landed cleanly: the world is reorganizing—and with it, the distribution of cultural influence. Panels and policy discussions painted a picture of a city weighing its next steps. Over decades, Hong Kong has established its role as a gateway between China and the West; now, it’s engineering a self-sufficient arts and cultural engine that serves first its residents and then its near and dear in the region.