Hong Kong and Singapore Strengthen Cooperation for Future Economic Opportunities

2026-03-27 18:47 Last Updated At：19:33

CE meets Prime Minister of Singapore (with photos/video)

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Singapore, Mr Lawrence Wong, at Government House today (March 27) to exchange views on further strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Singapore. Also attending the meeting were the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip.

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CE meets Prime Minister of Singapore (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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CE meets Prime Minister of Singapore (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wong's visit to Hong Kong with his delegation, and was pleased to meet Mr Wong in Hong Kong today following their attendance at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan yesterday (March 26). Mr Lee expressed support for Mr Wong's remarks at the annual conference, and stated that Hong Kong and Singapore both actively practise free trade, support the upholding of free trade and multilateralism, support international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, and oppose unilateralism and protectionism.

Mr Lee said that Singapore has long contributed to Asia's development and prosperity. Hong Kong and Singapore will continue to deepen co-operation to bring more opportunities to Asia. He expressed his gratitude to Singapore for its continuous support for Hong Kong's accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and stated that Hong Kong will proactively promote regional co-operation and economic synergy.

Hong Kong and Singapore have long maintained frequent exchanges. As international trade and financial hubs, both places value the rule of law and free trade, and are supported by high-quality professional services and a strong pool of talent. Hong Kong and Singapore have also been learning from each other in continuously enhancing the quality of public policies through regular civil service exchange activities, including the Singapore-Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries Exchange Programme. Mr Lee said he looks forward to further promoting broader and deeper collaboration between the two places in economic and trade, tourism, people-to-people ties and civil service staff exchanges.

Mr Lee said that the National 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly supports expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM). The NM is a new engine for Hong Kong's future development, with enormous development potential and economic value. The Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Hong Kong Park) officially commenced operation at the end of last year, and is being developed into an international innovation hub. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is pressing ahead with the development of the NM at full speed, in particular the construction and development of the Hetao Hong Kong Park.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wong's visit to the Hetao Hong Kong Park in the afternoon. He encouraged Singaporean enterprises to establish a presence in the NM and the Hetao Hong Kong Park and to participate in areas including commercial development and innovation and technology, to seize the enormous opportunities brought by the NM and the Hetao Hong Kong Park, with broader scope for collaboration between the two sides. With Hong Kong's unique strengths under the "one country, two systems" principle, enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, Hong Kong will actively play its roles as a "super connector" and a "super value-adder" in assisting Singaporean enterprises to tap into, in particular, the Mainland market, and to open up more opportunities for enterprises and investors.

HKMA and HKSTP Announce Winners of IADS Developer Hackathon, Boosting Fintech Innovation in Hong Kong.

HKMA and HKSTP announce winners of the IADS Developer Hackathon empowering innovation through secure account data sharing

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today (March 27) announced the winners of the IADS Developer Hackathonat the IADS Developer Conference held at the Hong Kong Science Park. The ceremony marks the successful conclusion of a six-month innovation journey that has further unleashed the potential of the Interbank Account Data Sharing (IADS) initiative.

Launched in October 2025, the Hackathon brought together the banking industry and fintech firms to collaborate on innovative, secure, customerconsented solutions, leveraging the IADS to accelerate digital transformation in Hong Kong's banking sector.

After a rigorous selection process and mentorship phase,fivefinalist teams presented their solutions today to a panel of judges.

Mr Nelson Chow, the Executive Director (Financial Infrastructure) of the HKMA, said, "The IADS Developer Hackathon has served as a catalyst for innovation in the banking sector. It has been truly encouraging to see participating teams deliver high-quality and practical solutions that open up new opportunities for financial services. Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen collaboration with banks and fintech firms to drive the industry's broader adoption of the IADS."

Mr Eric Or, the Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of the HKSTP, said,"The IADS Developer Hackathon reflects the strong collaborative spirit within Hong Kong's innovation community. By connecting fintech talent with real industry needs, the Hackathon has helped accelerate new ideas that can enhance banking efficiency and user experience through secure data sharing. The HKSTP is proud to provide a sandbox testing platform and technical support for this competition, and we look forward to seeing these solutions contribute to Hong Kong's fintech development."

Details of the winning teams are set out at theannex. For more information about the IADS initiative, please visit theHKMA website.

Hong Kong and Singapore Strengthen Cooperation for Future Economic Opportunities

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