FS hails deepening HK, Belt-Road connections

Financial Secretary Paul Chan of Hong Kong highlighted the deepening connections between Hong Kong, the Belt and Road regions, and the Global South in his weekly blog post on Sunday. He emphasized that Hong Kong's innovation and technology capabilities have grown significantly, with the number of startups increasing from over 1,500 in 2015 to more than 5,200 last year.

Chan stated that the city's collaboration with the Middle East has expanded beyond finance to include industry-oriented innovation and technology, broadening economic and investment relationships. He also noted that Hong Kong's cooperation with Belt and Road regions is shifting from individual projects to comprehensive connections.

Chan attributed this progress to the city's robust scientific research and innovation capabilities, which enable cross-regional cooperation to extend into the innovation and technology sector. He further explained that Hong Kong's growing innovation abilities, combined with advanced manufacturing capacity and the vast market in the Greater Bay Area, result in commercial returns and high-quality development that benefits all parties involved.

Chan said that Hong Kong's first five-year plan and the latest Policy Address would be the focus of the market in the coming week, enabling better understanding of Hong Kong's future development and policies, and better planning for investments and business development in the city and the region.