Hong Kong finance chief urges deeper Beijing-HK financial cooperation at annual forum
Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and Treasury addressed the 29th Beijing-HK Economic Cooperation Forum, highlighting the city's role as a financial hub and proposing deeper collaboration in fintech, green finance, and cross-border capital markets to support China's "financial superpower"
Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and Treasury outlined the city's financial strengths and proposed new areas for cooperation with Beijing at the 29th Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium on 3 November 2026. Speaking at a dedicated financial forum in Beijing, the official highlighted Hong Kong's status as the world's third-ranked global financial centre and top in Asia-Pacific, according to the latest Global Financial Index, with its fintech sector ranking first globally.
The secretary noted that Hong Kong's stock exchange raised over HK$380 billion in new share capital in the first three quarters of 2026, more than double the figure from the same period a year earlier. He also pointed out that Hong Kong handles about 75 per cent of global offshore renminbi payments, with renminbi deposits (including certificates of deposit) reaching around HK$1.3 trillion by the end of July 2026.
The official proposed a "Finance +" strategy to integrate financial services with the real economy, focusing on four areas: technology finance, green development, treasury and wealth management, and commodity and gold trading. He said Hong Kong had issued over US$76 billion in green and sustainable debt in 2025, and had led Asia's green bond market for eight consecutive years since 2018.
On cross-border collaboration, the secretary revealed that nearly 290 Beijing-based companies were listed in Hong Kong by the end of the third quarter of 2026, with a combined market capitalisation of HK$13 trillion, representing over a quarter of the Hong Kong stock market's total value. These companies had raised a cumulative HK$3.4 trillion in Hong Kong.
The secretary urged Beijing and Hong Kong to work together to support Chinese companies expanding overseas, noting that Hong Kong had set up a dedicated task force to help mainland firms navigate international markets. He emphasised that Hong Kong's common law system, robust regulatory framework, free capital flows and low tax regime made it an ideal launchpad for mainland enterprises going global.