Chief Executive Welcomes Global Leaders to Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026

Speech by CE at Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK 2026

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK 2026 today (November 2):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. And welcome to Hong Kong FinTech Week and StartmeupHK 2026.

This year's global gathering counts some 1 000 governmental leaders and fintech, finance and technology professionals from over 100 countries and economies. That includes some 800 exhibitors and start-ups, and more than 30 delegations from the Chinese Mainland and abroad.

Ladies and gentlemen, a very warm welcome to Hong Kong, Asia's world city, and the world's fintech capital.

You're here at an extraordinary moment in time, with technology advancing at remarkable speed and AI transforming industries. And soon the world. Supply chains, too, are evolving, and new patterns of investment, innovation and global trade are fast emerging.

These developments, and a lot more, are forcing businesses worldwide to adjust to shifting market conditions and unprecedented technological change.

In such an ever-changing, all-encompassing environment, one quality is becoming ever more valuable. I'm talking about certainty. Certainty about direction. Certainty about opportunities. Certainty about where businesses can invest, innovate and flourish, in the long term.

Less than two months ago, the HKSAR Government unveiled Hong Kong's first-ever Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development. It's closely aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, which sets out a clear direction for Hong Kong to leverage its strengths and better integrate into, and serve, the overall national development.

Our Five-Year Plan reinforces Hong Kong's status as an international financial, maritime and trade centre, as well as an international aviation hub.

In realising it, we will accelerate Hong Kong's development as both an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre and a hub for high-calibre talent.

More than a policy document, our inaugural Five-Year Plan portrays Hong Kong's outlook for businesses, investors and innovators. For you as well. Helping you capitalise on the far-reaching promise of Hong Kong – the abundance of opportunities arising from national and global development.

On the global stage, Hong Kong continues to be recognised as the world's no.1 in economic freedom. We are Asia's leading international financial centre, now home to more than 1 400 fintech companies.

We have risen to second place, globally, in competitiveness. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange remains among the world's leading exchanges in initial public offerings. And the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster is ranked the global no.1, two years in a row, in the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index.

These, and other international achievements speak of more than rankings. They are important because of what they represent. Confidence.

Confidence from investors, who continue to put their capital to work in Hong Kong, now the world's largest cross-boundary wealth hub.

Confidence, too, in our asset and wealth management sector, with net fund inflows surging about 200 per cent last year, marking a third consecutive year of growth.

Confidence from talented professionals worldwide, turning to Hong Kong for their future.

And, yes, confidence from international companies choosing Hong Kong to build and scale.

From January to September this year, InvestHK, our dedicated investment promotion agency, has helped more than 550 overseas and Mainland companies establish or expand their businesses in Hong Kong, an increase of 14 per cent, year-on-year. That's brought in about US$ 9 billion in foreign direct investment, creating about 11 100 jobs within the first year of their opening or expansion.

They are here to invest in Hong Kong, and the opportunities on offer in our city. In the decades to come, many of these important opportunities will come from our Northern Metropolis.

Northern Metropolis is the northern part of Hong Kong, representing about one-third of Hong Kong geographically, which adjoins Shenzhen city. The Northern Metropolis itself will create a new "South-North dual engine" for Hong Kong.

That means finance in the south, and innovation and technology in the north – adjacent to the boundary with tech powerhouse Shenzhen and the rest of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Covering about one-third of Hong Kong's land area, the Northern Metropolis will eventually be home to some 2.5 million people, or one-third of Hong Kong's population, providing more than 500 000 new job opportunities.

Three university towns spanning more than 1 000 hectares will rise from the heart of the Northern Metropolis, bringing education, technology, industry, talent and urban development all together.

We are creating an innovation through-train, connecting talent and research with commercialisation and industry – and ultimately, with capital and global markets.

And through the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, or what we call the Loop Hong Kong Park, we are deepening collaboration with Shenzhen. Planned as a world-class I&T hub, the Loop Hong Kong Park will enable the cross-boundary flow of personnel, materials, capital, data and other elements driving innovation.

San Tin Technopole, an extension of the Loop Hong Kong Park, will accelerate the commercialisation of R&D results, providing industrial space for prototyping, as well as pilot and mass production.

And companies and innovators can take confidence in Hong Kong's rule of law, our robust intellectual property protection, and the international standards global business demands, thanks to our unique position under the "one country, two systems" principle.

The principle ensures Hong Kong's international orientation and deep integration with the Mainland, giving companies a clear runway – from research and commercialisation to scale up. Our goal is to ensure that businesses have the capabilities, capital and connections to grow – from Hong Kong into Mainland and global markets.

Hong Kong is a pivotal player in building the Greater Bay Area into one of the world's leading I&T hubs.

We will develop an I&T industry chain in the Greater Bay Area, creating an international collaboration network that deepens regional ties with the Mainland, as well as international co-operation. Hong Kong's unmatched connectivity fuels the global expansion of businesses worldwide.

In official visits across ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Middle East and Central Asia, I have seen, first-hand, the growing interest in and recognition of Hong Kong as a trusted business partner, international financial centre and platform for collaboration.

More than access to capital, businesses today are looking for open and progressive financial centres – cities where they can connect with talent, test ideas, build partnerships and compete globally.

Ladies and gentlemen, despite the wide-ranging uncertainties facing the global economy, I'm confident that Hong Kong's future will be a future for us all. In business, finance, technology and so much more.

If you believe that technology will define the future, if you believe that Asia will continue to drive global economic growth, and if you believe in the transformation taking place across China, then you must believe in Hong Kong's pivotal place in making it happen.

After all, it's in Hong Kong that you access global capital while remaining close to one of the world's most dynamic engines of innovation and growth. Hong Kong, where you can take an idea from research to commercialisation, and on into global markets. Hong Kong, the East-meets-West city built on multilateralism, free trade and mutual opportunities.

And over the next several days, you can do it all, right here, with the rest of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you the best of business, finance and fintech at Hong Kong FinTech Week and StartmeupHK.

And I invite you to make time for Hong Kong, the world's rising East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

Thank you.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, attended the Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026 today (November 2). Photo shows Mr Lee (fifth left); the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui (fourth left); the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau (sixth left); the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Eddie Yue (fifth right); the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau (fourth right), and other guests at the event. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, speaks at the Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026 today (November 2). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Keynote speech by FS at Women Chief Executives Summit 2026 

Following is the keynote speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Women Chief Executives (WCE) Summit 2026 today (November 2):

Mary (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered, Ms Mary Huen), Amy (Chairman of UBS Global Wealth Management Asia and Head and Chief Executive of UBS Hong Kong, Ms Amy Lo), distinguished members of WCE, Consuls-General, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. My sincere thanks to Mary and Amy, and to their teams, for bringing together leaders from finance, technology and beyond. It was a pleasure to join your inaugural summit last year. I am delighted to return under this year’s theme, "Female Voices of Impact and Innovation".

In recent weeks, Hong Kong has welcomed a series of international financial gatherings. In October, we hosted the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Finance Ministers' Meeting for the first time. This week, we welcome the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit. Today, your summit adds an important voice to these conversations.

While their agendas differ, these gatherings share a concern over how finance can support growth in a changing world. For the leaders here this morning, the central question is how to build institutions that can succeed through uncertainty and change.

In my view, two principles are essential. The first is drawing on the widest possible pool of talent. The second is managing capital with a long-term perspective.

Let me begin with talent.

In the financial world, capital is important. But an institution's strength depends ultimately on its people and their judgement. They must navigate uncertainty, distinguish lasting trends from short-term market movements, and take responsibility for decisions with multiyear impact.

Sound judgement is not confined to any gender, background or generation. Institutions that draw on a wider pool of talent are better equipped to navigate change, make sound decisions and seize opportunities. Broadening access to leadership is not only fair. It makes our financial sector stronger.

Hong Kong has made encouraging progress in this respect. For the first time in their respective histories, the CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) of both the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) are women. Bonnie (CEO of the HKEX, Ms Bonnie Chan) is among us this morning.

We all remember the joint study by WCE Hong Kong, KPMG and the Women's Foundation. It found that women held 45 per cent of senior leadership positions in the financial institutions studied, up from 34 per cent in 2018.

These achievements deserve recognition. They reflect individual endeavour, backed by education, family support, workplace opportunities and a culture that values ability. Yet barriers remain, particularly for women in the middle of their careers.

We need to remove all these barriers so that more women can advance and lead. The same principle applies to people from different backgrounds and cultures. Our institutions thrive when talent has every opportunity to flourish.

The second principle concerns how far ahead capital looks.

A major transfer of wealth is under way. In the United States alone, the baby boomer generation holds some US$30 trillion in financial assets. As this wealth gradually passes to spouses and younger generations, women are expected to control a substantial share of wealth by 2030. This is more than a change in ownership. It is a shift in who makes investment decisions and where capital is directed.

As wealth changes hands, investment priorities will change too. Financial institutions need to respond to the goals of a new generation, not simply repeat what worked for the last.

Nowadays, wealth management goes beyond transactional product sales to building multigenerational advisory relationships. Investment strategies should look beyond quarterly performance to opportunities and risks across market cycles. Institutions that respond well will be better placed to earn the lasting trust of their clients.

For those seeking to develop talent and manage capital for the long term, Hong Kong has much to offer.

Our economy grew by 5.1 per cent in the first half of this year. Tomorrow, we will announce our third-quarter figures, which will mark our 15th consecutive quarter of growth. We will also likely revise upwards our full-year GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast, putting Hong Kong on course for its strongest annual growth in five years.

But the case for Hong Kong extends beyond the current economic cycle. Our common law legal system, free flow of capital and deep professional expertise provide a reliable foundation for investors looking to commit capital for the long term.

Our connections with the Chinese Mainland and the world bring together people, ideas and investment opportunities. They make Hong Kong a place where international institutions can build diverse teams and serve clients across markets.

This year marks the beginning of our country's National 15th Five-Year Period. In September, Hong Kong also announced our own very First Five-Year Plan.

These plans also provide a longer-term framework for Hong Kong's development. Together with our institutional strengths, they give businesses and investors a basis for planning ahead.

In short, Hong Kong offers both access to growth and the continuity that long-term investment requires.

We will continue to strengthen our role as a trusted platform for international capital entering the Chinese Mainland, and for Mainland enterprises and investors reaching out to the world.

Looking ahead, technological disruption will test both our approach to talent and our management of capital.

Later today, you will discuss the "Human-AI Financial Institution". I believe the question is not simply how many AI tools an institution adopts, but how it becomes truly AI-native. That means rethinking how decisions are made, services are delivered and teams are organised. That means how AI is built into the way the institution works as a whole.

That also places demanding choices before leaders. They need to decide where to invest, which skills to develop and how to redesign roles. They need to balance innovation with the need to protect clients and maintain trust. And they need to ensure that responsibility remains clear as technology becomes more complex.

There are no easy answers. But we are more likely to find sound answers when different experiences and views inform the decisions.

Women must have a full part in shaping this transformation. A wider pool of talent brings more ideas and perspectives to the table, challenges familiar assumptions and helps institutions prepare for what comes next.

Ladies and gentlemen, the future of finance and business will be shaped by the choices leaders make today. Who should be given the opportunity to lead, how we invest for tomorrow and how responsibly we use technology will determine the strength of our institutions.

Let us open more doors to talent, take the longer-term view of capital and turn investment into lasting value. Hong Kong treasures your leadership and aspiration as we build that future together.

I wish the summit every success and all of you the best of health and business. Thank you.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the Women Chief Executives Summit 2026 today (November 2). Photo shows (from front row, ninth left) Mr Chan; the Chairman of UBS Global Wealth Management Asia and Head and Chief Executive of UBS Hong Kong, Ms Amy Lo; the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered, Ms Mary Huen, and other guests at the summit. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, speaks at the Women Chief Executives Summit 2026 today (November 2). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases