Global Business Summit Launches in Hong Kong, Showcasing Finance and Innovation Opportunities Across Industries

Inaugural Global Business Summit Brings Global Leaders Together to Drive Finance-Industry Integration

The Inaugural Global Business Summit (GBS) was successfully held today (January 27) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, providing forward-looking, multi-dimensional insights into the prospects, challenges, and opportunities facing various industries.

The GBS was held on the second day of the annual flagship event, the Asian Financial Forum. It was jointly organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. With over 3 500 global leaders in attendance, the event highlighted Hong Kong's unique role as a "Super Connector" and "Super Value-Adder," further solidifying the city's position as international financial and innovation and technology (I&T) hubs.

Echoing the theme of "Finance Empowering Business," the GBS focused on strategies for financial–industrial integration and the latest market trends. Discussions included life and health technology, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, new energy, fintech, and other fast-growing sectors. Participants explored how cross-sector collaboration can generate synergies, drive industrial upgrading, and leverage Hong Kong's strength as a financial and trading centre to support Chinese Mainland enterprises in going global. This collaboration also aims to attract more international capital to reinforce and foster ecosystem development, strengthening Hong Kong's role in finance and innovation.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, stressed the importance of Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre. Henotedthat empowering industries through finance would foster deeperintegrationand collaborative development between finance and industry. He stated in hisopening remarks "Looking ahead, trade, finance and innovation and technology will be the three principal drivers of our economic growth." Mr Chan pointed out that tailored incentive packages, such as land grants, premium concessions, tax incentives and other facilitation measures, would be prepared to welcome technology enterprises to establish a presence in the Northern Metropolis.

OASES, as a co-organiser of the GBS, actively engaged with global leaders from existing and potential strategic enterprises across various sectors, including AI & Data Science, fintech, advanced manufacturing and new energy technology, and life and health technology, enabling them to exchange ideas as guest speakers and provide professional and diverse industry perspectives.

The Director-General of OASES, Mr Peter Yan, said, "The successful debut of the GBS fully demonstrates Hong Kong's unique status as both the global financial and I&T hubs. The GBS has become an important platform for international collaboration, underscoring Hong Kong's strategic role in driving deeper integration between finance and industry, and providing global enterprises with new opportunities to explore and unlock value."

Since its establishment, OASES has actively promoted Hong Kong's unique advantages and policies, successfully attracting more than 100 strategic enterprises to set up in the city. These enterprises are expected to bring in approximately HK$60 billion of investment and create more than 22 000 quality jobs, further strengthening Hong Kong's position as an I&T hub.

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, a leading global innovative pharmaceutical enterprise, actively participated in the GBS and joined the thematic panel titled "Biomedicine 2026: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities". The panel provided an indepth analysis of the latest developments in the global biomedical technology industry and examined the opportunities and challenges facing by the sector. Topics covered included cuttingedge scientific breakthroughs, transformation in clinical application, regulatory changes, and how cross-sector collaboration can drive continuous innovation in life and health technology.

The Vice Chairman of Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, Mr Dai Hongbin, said, "Hengrui places significant importance on Hong Kong's strategic position in the international innovation ecosystem. We are excited to enhance our collaboration with OASES to drive advancements, promote breakthroughs in biomedical technology through research, clinical practice and industrialisation, while actively contributing to the development of Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem." He also noted that the GBS serves as a stage for pharmaceutical enterprises to share knowledge on life and health science and medical innovation from various perspectives, fostering collaboration across sectors and global resource integration.

Vice President and Chief Economist of JD Group, Dr Shen Jianguang,joined a thematic panel discussion titled "AI Infrastructure: Driving Intelligent Supply" with other distinguished guests. The session delved into strategies for the practical use of AI technologies, investment priorities, and fostering industrial collaboration. It explored the growing importance of AI infrastructure as a key component of intelligent supply chains, smart manufacturing, and innovative business models, and its significant impact on the global industrial landscape.

Dr Shen noted that Hong Kong provides a vibrant and highly internationalised environment for AI enterprises, enabling them to expand their businesses and drive innovation. He emphasised that the GBS is a valuable platform that promotes the exchange of ideas and crosssector collaboration, while also creating important opportunities to explore new growth and advance industrial upgrading.

Dr Shen said, "With the rapid development of AI infrastructure, Hong Kong plays a greater role in data science, fintech and smart manufacturing, serving as a strategic hub linking the Chinese Mainland with international markets. We look forward to deepening co-operation with OASES through the GBS, driving the application of AI technologies across broader industrial scenarios, and contributing to the continued growth of Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem."

Moving forward, OASES will continuously align with the National 15th FiveYear Plan to elevate Hong Kong's status as a leading international hub for finance, shipping, trade, and innovation and technology. OASES will continue to leverage Hong Kong's unique role as a "Super Connector" and "Super ValueAdder" to accelerate growth in finance and I&T, and deepen global interactions. OASES will continue to attract high-potential technology enterprises to set up in Hong Kong and support them to thrive globally through our city. This initiative is designed to drive significant advancements in key emerging industries: AI & Data Science, fintech, life and health technology, advanced manufacturing and new energy technology, and cultural and creative technology. Ultimately, these efforts are intended to further solidify Hong Kong's competitive position as a global I&T hub.

The thematic panel titled "AI Driven Robotics and Autonomous Technologies: Revolutionising Industry", Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The speakers of the Global Business Summit, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The speakers of the Global Business Summit, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The thematic panel titled "Biomedicine 2026: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities", Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director-General of OASES, Mr Peter Yan, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Business Plenary: Strategic Collaboration for Shared Growth, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at 3rd Hong Kong Capital Markets Forum 2026 (with photos/video)

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong Capital Markets Forum 2026 today (January 28):

(Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Xu Weigang), Clement (Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Registered Public Interest Entity Auditors Limited, Mr Clement Chan), Kenneth (Executive Deputy Chairperson of the Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies, Dr Kenneth Lam), Kelvin (Chairman of Securities and Futures Commission, Dr Kelvin Wong), David (Chairman, Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, Dr David Sun), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is a pleasure to join you at the third Hong Kong Capital Markets Forum. This year's theme, "Capturing the Next Growth Momentum," aptly reflects where Hong Kong stands today, and puts a spotlight on how to ensure financial services as a lasting engine of our economic growth.

Review of 2025

Looking back at 2025, market sentiment and global capital flows were shaped by a complex mix of geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, as well as unilateralism, tariff and policy unpredictability of certain jurisdictions. Many of us will remember the volatility that followed the "Liberation Day" shock, which reverberated across global markets.

Yet the Hong Kong market remained resilient and delivered a strong performance in 2025. The Hang Seng Index rose by 28 per cent. Average daily turnover increased by about 90 per cent to nearly HK$250 billion. The IPO (initial public offering) market was also vibrant, with 119 new listings raising over HK$280 billion, placing Hong Kong at the top of the global IPO league table.

The broader financial sector also demonstrated renewed confidence. Bank deposits rose by 12 per cent to HK$19.4 trillion. In asset and wealth management, Hong Kong-domiciled funds recorded net capital inflows of more than HK$380 billion in the first 11 months of 2025.

These capital inflows reflect global investors' confidence in Hong Kong and the underlying vitality of our market. One reason they choose Hong Kong is our policy predictability and consistency. Under the "one country, two systems" arrangement, Hong Kong is a free port. We sticked to this core value and did not retaliate against unilateral tariffs. In a world where investors increasingly value stability, transparency and freedom of capital movement, Hong Kong stands out as safe harbour for capital, and for many, a trusted platform to do business.

Another reason is the value being created and unleashed in this part of the world - particularly by Chinese technology firms. The "DeepSeek Moment" last year prompted investors at home and abroad to reassess the capabilities, competitiveness and value of China's technology companies. Many also realised that, up till then, they had under-allocated to the Mainland and Hong Kong markets.

Hong Kong going forward

Going forward, how do I see Hong Kong's capital markets developing in 2026? I am cautiously optimistic, for several reasons.

First, shifts in the geopolitical landscape - especially rising unilateralism and power politics - are prompting investors to diversify their asset allocation. Diversification is now the key theme. Governments and financial institutions are seeking greater strategic resilience. Recent movements in gold and silver prices reflect the growing interest in alternatives to US (United States) dollar denominated assets.

Second, China's development remains steady and positive. Last year, the Chinese economy met its growth target of 5 per cent, and growth this year is widely expected to be in the range of 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent. The year 2026 marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. China is pressing ahead with high-level, two-way opening-up, while pursuing technological self-reliance and integrating technological innovation with industry development. These will continue to power high-quality development for the country. China's technological potential should not be under estimated, and it will remain a key focus for international investors.

Just last week, I attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Indeed, across regions, investors generally expressed optimism about the opportunities in China and in Hong Kong.

In my view, the global environment is shifting in ways that create new and favourable opportunities for Hong Kong. Our challenge is how to seize the moment and deliver tangible outcomes. More specifically, that involves supporting the country's high-quality development; matching the needs of Mainland enterprises going global and the appetite of international investors; and, at the same time, driving Hong Kong's own growth.

This will require us to further upgrade and deepen our capital markets, so that they stay competitive, resilient and well-positioned for the next phase of growth. In this regard, we are working on three priorities.

Our priorities

The first is to strengthen the competitiveness and appeal of our stock market. Over the years, we have undertaken listing reforms, such as Chapters 18A and 18C, to better support fundraising by new economy companies. Currently, we have asked HKEX (the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited) to conduct another review of the listing regime to keep pace with the evolving needs of issuers and investors. It is also working on enhancements to the issuance framework for structured products, and exploring regional co-operation in products such as ETFs (exchange-traded funds).

At the same time, HKEX is also advancing initiatives to improve trading efficiency and risk management. These include board lot reforms, transition to an uncertificated securities market, and moving towards a T+1 settlement cycle as soon as practicable.

We also see significant scope to better utilise stocks and bonds held in custody. Last year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and HKEX entered into strategic co-operation on CMU OmniClear. The aim is to turn it into a multi-asset class platform that provides custodian services to both equity and debt securities. This will enhance interoperability in depository and collateral management, and facilitate more efficient use of such assets as collaterals to enhance their liquidity and return.

The second priority is to strengthen other parts of our capital markets, especially in areas of strategic importance. Our efforts focus on two directions. First, reinforcing our traditional strengths, such as asset and wealth management, and fixed income and currency markets. Second, developing new growth areas, including gold and commodities trading. Just two days ago, the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government signed a co-operation agreement with the Shanghai Gold Exchange. This covers, among other things, a new gold central clearing system, gold storage facilities, and closer co-operation in physical gold trading. With these, a whole range of derivative products and services can be developed.

The third priority is to build a more vibrant offshore Renminbi (RMB) market. As more Mainland enterprises expand overseas and deepen co-operation with international partners, cross-border RMB usage is naturally increasing. We will continue to enhance offshore RMB liquidity, strengthen the supporting infrastructure and broaden the range of RMB-denominated investment and risk-management products. With the support of the relevant Central Authorities, we will further expand the breadth and depth of the various Connect schemes. In the process, we will also contribute to the prudent internationalisation of the RMB.

Concluding remarks

Ladies and gentlemen, the year 2026 will bring both challenges and opportunities. With Hong Kong's unique strengths under the "one country, two systems" arrangement, and with our concerted commitment to reinvent our capital markets, I am confident that we can capture the next growth momentum and bring Hong Kong's IFC (international financial centre) status to new heights. Thank you very much.

Speech by FS at 3rd Hong Kong Capital Markets Forum 2026 (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at 3rd Hong Kong Capital Markets Forum 2026 (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases