Sun Life Partners with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to Take Dragon Boat Celebrations to New Heights as Title Sponsor of the "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival" and "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races"

Celebrating Hong Kong’s century-old Dragon Boat heritage with a large-scale installation to design your own boat

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - Sun Life has proudly supported local dragon boat activities to help preserve this cultural tradition. To mark the 50^th anniversary of the iconic "Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races", the company has partnered with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to scale up its support as the title sponsor of both the "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival" and the "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races", bringing the annual event to a global stage to allow locals and visitors to experience the festive energy.

Sun Life Partners with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to Take Dragon Boat Celebrations to New Heights as Title Sponsor of the "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival" and "Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races"

This year's celebration unfolds as a 13-day dragon boat carnival along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, running from 19 June to 1 July. Blending traditions and modern elements, the festival features exciting races, festive delicacies and immersive cultural experiences, creating an unforgettable summer destination for locals as well as tourists from Chinese Mainland and overseas. Sun Life has also curated a series of exclusive activities to infuse the community with even more joy and energy.

Adley Low, Chief Client and Marketing Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong Limited, said: "Dragon boat racing is a powerful symbol of Hong Kong's cultural identity and a meaningful way to bring people together. We are thrilled to partner with the Hong Kong Tourism Board as the title sponsor of the 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival' and 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races', to present this international event on an even bigger scale this year. As Sun Life prepares to welcome our 135^th anniversary in Hong Kong, we are proud to contribute to the local mega-event economy while deepening our connections with the community, reflecting our ongoing commitment to helping Clients live healthier, more fulfilling lives."

Design your own dragon boat at the "Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone"

The "Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone" is an interactive installation located on the ground floor of the K11 MUSEA Promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui, open from 19 June to 1 July. Visitors can unleash their creativity by designing their own dragon boat, experience the thrill of paddling and capture these moments through AI-generated personalized short videos. There will be also a dedicated photo spot that offers a scenic setting for memorable photo opportunities. For online engagement, the public can join in the excitement via Sun Life's official social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram), where interactive games will bring the buzz of the Dragon Boat Festival anytime, anywhere.

Event details:

Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone
Date	19 June (Friday) to 1 July (Wednesday)
Time#	Monday to Thursday: 3:00pm to 9:00pm Friday to Sunday and public holidays: 10:00am to 9:00pm
Venue	K11 Musea Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui (Next to the Avenue of Stars)
Fee	Free of charge

Friday to Sunday and public holidays: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Remarks:
Terms and conditions apply. For details, please visit Sun Life's official Facebook or Instagram page or refer to the on-site information.
# Opening hours are for reference only and are subject to change without prior notice.

Hashtag: #SunLifeHongKong

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organisation providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of 31 March 2026, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.58 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Sun Life Financial Inc. is the holding company of Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. Sun Life Hong Kong Limited (incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and operates in Hong Kong.

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HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - Hong Kong jumped one place to become the world's second most competitive economy, according to the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published today (June 18) by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD). It is Hong Kong's highest ranking since 2019, and builds on three consecutive years of improvement.

Welcoming the report, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said, "The World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2026 reaffirms Hong Kong as one of the most competitive economies in the world, and notes that Hong Kong's rise to second sustains the strong upward trajectory from 2024 and 2025."

Hong Kong ranks No.2 globally in 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking

In announcing the results, the IMD noted that, amid rising geopolitical tensions, competitive advantage hinges on credible institutions, predictable rules, enforceable commitments and public trust.

According to WCY 2026, Hong Kong's rise reflects sustained performance across the four competitiveness factors measured. Among these factors, Hong Kong ranks second in "Government efficiency" and third in "Business efficiency". "Infrastructure" and "Economic performance" rank eighth and 11^th respectively.

As regards the various competitiveness sub-factors, Hong Kong tops the rankings in "Tax policy" and "Business legislation", ranks second in "Finance", third in "International trade", "International investment", "Management practices" and "Education", and fourth in "Public finance" and "Basic infrastructure".

"In the competitiveness factor 'Government efficiency', Hong Kong continues to rank second globally, reflecting the HKSAR Government's ongoing efforts to promote free and open, stable, predictable and business-friendly economic policies, as well as the international community's trust in Hong Kong's legal and regulatory environment," the spokesperson said.

"Hong Kong's 'Business efficiency' is ranked third globally, reflecting the strong support for industry development rendered by our robust financial ecosystem, as well as the seamless alignment of the city's business practices and environment with international best standards."

Hong Kong has become a "value hub" that offers both security and growth opportunities

Amid rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics, Hong Kong, with its close connectivity to both the Chinese Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, and its sound institutions, open markets and sustained investments in innovation, has become a "value hub" that offers both security and growth opportunities.

In fact, Hong Kong continues to excel in various international rankings including those for economy, finance, and talent. The International Monetary Fund has also given positive recognition to Hong Kong in recent months, and major credit rating agencies have successively reaffirmed Hong Kong's credit ratings and 'stable' outlook.

"All these echo the WCY 2026 results," the spokesperson said.

Currently, Hong Kong is formulating at full speed its first Five-Year Plan, to proactively align with the National 15^th Five-Year Plan.

"With the staunch support of our country, the HKSAR Government will work together with all sectors of society to strengthen our role and function as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder', with a view to better integrating into and serving the overall national development, achieving our own high-quality development, creating more new room for development for our people and businesses, as well as opening up new opportunities for global investors and enterprises," the spokesperson said.

Hashtag: #HongKong #BrandHongKong #Global #Competitiveness

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