HK leader meets AIIB chief, backs bank's planned city office
Chief Executive John Lee met AIIB president Zou Jiayi ahead of APEC finance talks, welcoming the lender's plan to open a Hong Kong office. Lee said the city will support the bank's expansion and leverage green finance, fintech and offshore yuan business.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu met Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) president Zou Jiayi on Monday, ahead of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers' Meeting, and pledged to deepen regional financial cooperation as the multilateral lender prepares to open an office in Hong Kong.
Zou is leading an AIIB delegation to the city for the APEC finance talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Beijing-headquartered AIIB is a multilateral development bank focused on financing sustainable infrastructure projects across Asia and beyond.
During the meeting, Lee welcomed the AIIB's plan to establish a Hong Kong office that would serve both financing and operational functions. The new office reflects the city's position as a gateway connecting China with international markets, Lee said in a statement, adding that local authorities would fully support the office's setup and operations to facilitate the bank's expansion.
Lee said Hong Kong, an AIIB member since 2017, would draw on initiatives from last month's Policy Address and the city's First Five-Year Plan to bolster green finance, financial technology and offshore yuan business, in support of the bank's project financing, fundraising and financial management.
Pointing to the AIIB's issuance of Hong Kong dollar bonds in recent years, Lee said the city's capital and bond markets were well placed to connect the lender with global investors and channel capital toward carbon neutrality, transition finance and infrastructure development.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu also joined Monday's meeting.