Hong Kong to propel belt and road market expansion, finance chief says

Hong Kong's Financial Chief, Paul Chan Mo-po, has announced the city's intention to bolster support for Belt and Road enterprises seeking to venture into new markets and harness regional growth. In a weekly blog post, Chan highlighted the strong expansion of emerging markets and developing economies, with International Monetary Fund projections anticipating a 3.8% and 4.5% increase over the next two years. He emphasized that China's industries are gradually shifting towards Belt and Road regions due to this trend.

This week, Hong Kong is hosting the 11th Belt and Road Summit, emphasizing high-quality growth and embarking on a new journey. This year's summit introduces a "Go Global Chapter" to aid mainland firms expanding overseas. Currently, around 58,000 overseas entities established by mainland firms have created over two million jobs annually, with investments totaling $3.4 trillion, nearly 90% of which are in developing economies.

Chan noted that Hong Kong is situated at the intersection of this two-way flow of market demand, economic growth, and trade/investment momentum.

Over 100 Belt and Road firms with a combined market capitalization exceeding HK$340 billion (US$43.36 billion) are now listed in Hong Kong. Several Central Asian state infrastructure firms have also expressed interest in listing on the local exchange. Hong Kong has signed double taxation agreements with 43 Belt and Road jurisdictions and investment and free trade pacts with 20 and 14 economies, respectively.

In terms of bond financing, 82 listed bonds from Belt and Road regions have been issued in Hong Kong since July, raising more than HK$470 billion. Chan pointed out that various governments, public institutions, and enterprises from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East have issued offshore yuan bonds in Hong Kong in recent years. For instance, Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company issued 3.5 billion yuan in a recent offering, the largest by a Central Asian enterprise in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong serves as a pivotal hub and platform for accelerated development and deepened exchanges in attracting investment or supporting outbound expansion, according to Chan. The two-day summit will cover energy, artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy, and urban development, with on-site visits. Additionally, a climate-finance conference co-hosted by Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Dubai Financial Services Authority will take place this week, along with initiatives like a green technology project accelerator program and updated sustainable finance classification, showcasing Hong Kong's dedication to regional growth through green technology and finance.