Bakai Bank Becomes First Central Asian Bank Licensed in Hong Kong, Expanding Asia-Pacific Financial Connectivity

Bakai Bank obtains Hong Kong banking license, making it first Central Asian bank in Asia-Pacific region

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (October 5) congratulated Bakai Bank on obtaining a Hong Kong banking license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, making it the first bank from Central Asia to have a presence in the Asia-Pacific region. As a leading commercial bank in the Kyrgyz Republic, the institution will establish a Restricted Licence Bank branch in the city under Bakai Bank Open Joint-Stock Company (Hong Kong Branch) (Bakai Bank Hong Kong) to capture growing trade, investment and capital demand along the Central Asia-Asia-Pacific region economic corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "We warmly welcome Bakai Bank to Hong Kong, celebrating another milestone arising from the Chief Executive's business delegation visit to Central Asia in June this year. Under the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030), consolidating our status as an international financial centre is integral to the city's 'four centres and one hub' vision to drive high-quality economic development and global competitiveness. The arrival ofBakai Bank injects fresh momentum into our financial ecosystem, unlocking potential opportunities in global offshore Renminbi (RMB) business, international asset and wealth management, gold trading, and beyond.

"As more leading banks along the Belt and Road establish or grow their presence in Hong Kong, they serve as a beacon for Mainland enterprises expanding overseas and offshore investors exploring opportunities on the Chinese Mainland. InvestHK is committed to facilitating two-way investment along the Belt and Road corridors, leveraging Hong Kong's strengths in international financial and professional services, risk management, and our legal system," Ms Lau added.

The Chief Executive ofBakai Bank Hong Kong, Mr Andreas Meletiou, said, "Hong Kong is Asia's pre-eminent 'super-connector' - uniquely positioned to connect East and West, and to facilitate the cross-border financial activities that define our franchise. For a bank focused on the Central Asia-Asia-Pacific region corridor, there is no more fitting home.

"The Central Asia-Asia-Pacific region corridor is expanding rapidly, yet cross-border banking needs remain underserved. Bakai Bank Hong Kong is positioned to help address this gap by supporting corporates and financial institutions with trade, payments and treasury solutions," Mr Meletiou continued.

InvestHK securedBakai Bank's interest in expanding to Hong Kong during its visit to Central Asia covering the Kyrgyz Republic. Since then, the department has facilitated its setup by providing ongoing regulatory alignment, licensing advisory services, stakeholder connections, and local ecosystem induction. InvestHK will continue to collaborate with the institution to explore sustainable development funding and RMB-denominated financing in Hong Kong, connecting overseas and Mainland markets while promoting financial innovation.

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (October 5) congratulated Bakai Bank on obtaining a Hong Kong banking license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, making it the first bank from Central Asia to have a presence in the Asia Pacific region. InvestHK secured Bakai Bank's interest in expanding to Hong Kong during its visit to Central Asia covering the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). Photo shows the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau (right), and the Alternate Chief Executive and Chief Risk Officer of Bakai Bank Hong Kong, Ms Umut Abakirova, meeting at the bank's headquarters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on October 23, 2025. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (October 5) congratulated Bakai Bank on obtaining a Hong Kong banking license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, making it the first bank from Central Asia to have a presence in the Asia Pacific region. InvestHK has facilitated Bakai Bank's setup by providing ongoing regulatory and licensing advisory services, connections with stakeholders, and local ecosystem induction. Photo shows the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau (left), and the Chief Executive of Bakai Bank Hong Kong, Mr Andreas Meletiou (right), meeting at the Hong Kong Sevens in April 2026. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (October 5) congratulated Bakai Bank on obtaining a Hong Kong banking license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, making it the first bank from Central Asia to have a presence in the Asia Pacific region. Photo shows the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau (third right); the Chief Executive of Bakai Bank Hong Kong, Mr Andreas Meletiou (fourth left); the Chief Compliance Officer of Bakai Bank Hong Kong, Mr Alex Kwok (third left); and the Global Head of Financial Services, Fintech & Sustainability of InvestHK, Mr King Leung (second right), toasting at the bank's new premises in Quarry Bay. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Matching session and kick-off ceremony of 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held

Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing, the 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held its matching session and kick-off ceremony today (October 5), promoting cross-sector collaboration among Hong Kong's advertising, film and television, and music industries.

Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries Miss Yvonne Ip noted that since its launch, the scheme has facilitated collaboration between more than 340 advertising production companies and some 290 groups of singers, providing the local film and television, advertising, and music sectors with a valuable creation platform and hands-on opportunities. CCIDA will continue to actively foster cross-sector collaboration in the local creative industries, with a view to promoting the professionalism, industrialisation and internationalisation of the industries.

This year's scheme consists of two funding categories, namely the "Advertising Production Start-ups" and the "Professional Advertising Production Houses". The selected creative teams will receive production funding as well as professional training and mentoring opportunities to produce original microfilms. At the kick-off ceremony, 10 start-up advertising production companies under the category of "Advertising Production Start-ups" were paired with singers, while the five teams under the category of "Professional Advertising Production Houses" were formed by directors, scriptwriters, singers and advertising production companies individually. The microfilms will premiere online in January next year and will be showcased to the industry at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) in March next year.

Launched in 2013, the Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) is a cross-sector collaboration initiative that brings together advertising and film production with music creation. It aims to enable local emerging directors and their creative teams to collaborate with local singers in producing original microfilms, thereby promoting the development of Hong Kong’s creative industry ecosystem.

For more information about the 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music), please visit www.hkmfa.hk (Chinese only).

Matching session and kick-off ceremony of 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases