The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has pledged to strengthen existing niches and develop new growth engines in the city’s financial services industry so that it can be better leveraged to empower Chinese mainland enterprises going out.

Panelists made this observation at the 2025 The 15th Hong Kong International Finance Forum on Friday, organized by Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, Hong Kong China Company Association, Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong, Chinese Securities Association of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute.

At the opening ceremony of the forum, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, via a pre-recorded keynote speech, said the SAR will maintain three key policy priorities — initial public offerings, the asset and wealth management industry, and the commodities market.

First, the government will further optimize the listing mechanism and improve market efficiency, including assisting mainland technology companies to raise funds in Hong Kong through the "Technology Enterprises Channel”, improving the main board listing and structured product issuance mechanisms, refining the "weighted voting rights" listing rules, promoting more overseas companies to have secondary listings in Hong Kong, and assisting Chinese concept stocks to choose Hong Kong as their preferred return destination.

The administration will also intensify its efforts to promote the development of the asset and wealth management industry by providing more preferential tax arrangements to attract global capital and family offices to Hong Kong, exempting stamp duty involving REIT (real-estate investment trust) unit transfer, and striving to include REITs in the stock connect program as soon as possible.

The SAR will not neglect the commodities market. “Over the next three years, Hong Kong's gold storage capacity will increase to over 2,000 tons. The government is targeting the central gold clearing system in Hong Kong and will commence trial operations this year, while Hong Kong and Shanghai will also explore collaboration in (gold trading) physical infrastructure and actively promote greater interconnectivity between their gold markets,” Wong noted.

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During the panel discussion session, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan Ho-lim said the government is exploring new growth engines for the financial services industry that can serve Chinese mainland enterprises going out.

In addition to the traditional segments of equity fund-raising, bond issuances and insurance services, Chan noted the SAR is looking new opportunities such as gold trading, digital assets, tokenization and risk management activities.

“We are conducting research on how to further optimize the tax concession measures on attracting mainland enterprises to establish treasury centers in Hong Kong and hope that relevant measures can be implemented. We also have tax concessions and other facilitation measures to lure mainland enterprises to set up captive insurance companies in the city,” Chan added.

Li Dahong, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the chairman and editor-in-chief of Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, suggested three functions that Hong Kong can contribute in integrating the financial powerhouse of the Chinese mainland.

“First, the city should ignite the main engine of renminbi internationalization and broaden its global application scenarios; create a power source of new financial productivity and unleash new development momentum; as well as strengthen national financial security and build a solid barrier against risks,” Li said.

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Tom Chau Siu-lun, president of the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute, commented, “Finance is the lifeblood of the real economy, and corporate governance is the core support for the sound operation of the financial system. We will continue to advocate high-quality governance concepts, improve corporate governance structures and board operating mechanisms, enhance the governance level of listed companies further, and maintain effective alignment with international market rules.”