Let’s champion creative industry growth: Finance chief Paul Chan

Let us all rally behind the growth of Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on social media on Monday, a day after he experienced the “incredibly vibrant” atmosphere during a visit to the Ani-com & Games Hong Kong fair.

“Hong Kong, as a world-class platform, enables trendy toy designers from across Asia, Europe, and the Americas to showcase and promote their creations across the Greater Bay Area, Asia, and even globally,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Global creators gather for Ani-com & Games fair

Visiting the annual summer event at the Wan Chai Convention and Exhibition Centre, Chan said he was struck by its bustling energy, diversity, and East-meets-West vibe.

He noted that the fair brought together art toy designers from 12 countries and regions, many of whom reported strong business prospects this year.

‘Did I just see someone cosplaying as Paul Chan?’

A long-time supporter of the festival, Chan noted its steady growth and praised the professionalism and attention to detail of the cosplayers, calling them “truly admirable.”

Embracing the spirit, Chan took the opportunity to pose for photos with several cosplayers. At one point, he overheard a passerby joke, “Did I just see someone cosplaying as Paul Chan?”—a ”moment he said reflected the immersive and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Supporting local comic artists through CreateHK

Chan also visited booths under the Hong Kong Comics Support Program, funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CreateHK), to engage with emerging local comic artists.

He purchased some of their works and encouraged the public to support the flourishing growth of Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries.

Selected comic enterprises under the comics support program can receive up to HK$200,000 in production funding to create original comics, along with an additional promotional funding of up to HK$40,000 to market their works, bringing the total potential support to HK$240,000.

ACGHK 2025 expands scale

This year’s five-day ACGHK, which began last Friday, features an expanded exhibition space of 34,872 square meters, nearly double last year’s size, accommodating around 160 exhibitors and 788 booths.

(Cheng Wong)