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Hong Kong ought to actively explore new growth drivers within the next five years in views of changing global economic landscape, accelerated technological innovation, and constantly shifting international capital flows, said Carlson Tong Ka-shing, Chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (0388) on Friday at the Sing Tao Global Economic Summit 2026.
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The city’s greatest future development opportunities come from China, Tong asserted, referencing plans for high-quality development, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading in the 15th Five-Year Plan, whereas Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan also proposes to further consolidate its position as an international financial center and better integrate into China’s strategy.
HK as a strategic link between Chinese markets and the world
He added that Hong Kong is strategically positioned as a crucial link between the capital markets of China, Asia, and the world, seeing that international investors are increasingly diversifying investment risks.
He lauded that the HKEX’s Connect Hub mechanism has become a unique and primary channel connecting mainland China with international capital markets, gaining full support and trust from investors and supporting the continued opening up of the national financial market, and expressed confidence that the HKEX will continue to increase product variety, and improve operational efficiency, providing investors with more cross-border investment options and risk management tools.
The need to diversify asset ecosystem
While acknowledging that the stock market is a cornerstone of the financial market itself, Tong emphasized the need to develop a diversified asset ecosystem including bond, currency, and commodity markets in view of diversification trends.
Tong noted that while many local enterprises frequently discuss innovation, technological breakthroughs require substantial capital backing alongside talent. As an international financial center, Hong Kong plays a pivotal role in matching high-potential enterprises with global capital.
Hong Kong has a pool of funds connected with capital from around the world in the age of technological innovation, as more cutting-edge technology companies are choosing to list here since HKEX has optimized its listing mechanisms multiple times in recent years, said Tong.
