HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will continue to optimize connectivity schemes between the capital markets of the Chinese mainland and the SAR, among other efforts to help advance the opening of the mainland capital market, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday.

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By September, the total turnover of northbound transactions of Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connects had exceeded 21 trillion yuan (about $2.96 trillion), and that of southbound trading had topped HK$6 trillion, said Lee while addressing the closing ceremony of a parallel session of the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2024 held in Hong Kong.

The HKSAR government will also promote RMB internationalization, study the feasibility of launching offshore RMB sovereign bond futures and encourage more companies from the Chinese mainland and overseas to go public in Hong Kong, he said.

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Themed "Trust and Confidence -- Work Together to Promote Financial Openness, Cooperate for Shared Economic Stability and Growth", this year's conference is attended by over 500 representatives from 30 countries and regions around the world. Sessions are held in the HKSAR, Luxembourg and Tokyo parallel with main events in Beijing.