Hong Kong’s hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministerial Meeting was one of the year’s most meaningful multilateral economic events for the city. Far more than a routine regional gathering, this meeting carried clear strategic weight. It reflected the central government’s consistent care for and confidence in Hong Kong, demonstrated the real-world strengths of the “one country, two systems” framework, and brought tangible momentum to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s high-quality development and five-year strategic road map.

The SAR’s role as the host city reflected the city’s significance to national strategic priorities because of its unique competitive strengths. At a time when global economic recovery remains patchy and international cooperation faces fragmentation, placing this key regional financial dialogue in Hong Kong sent a strong, reassuring message to global markets. It underscored the city’s essential place in the country’s opening-up framework, delivered visible national support, and helped correct persistent external misconceptions about Hong Kong’s stability and role in Asia-Pacific economic governance.

This high-profile meeting also showcased Hong Kong’s unmatched regional advantage as Asia’s superconnector and super value-adder — a positioning only possible under the “one country, two systems” framework. Grounded in solid national backing while fully aligned with international practices, Hong Kong maintains common-law traditions, free capital movement, independent financial regulation, and a mature bilingual professional sector. This one-of-a-kind institutional setup allows the SAR to seamlessly connect the Chinese mainland’s vast domestic market with diverse APEC economies — a capability no other city in the region can fully replicate.

Bringing together finance chiefs, other senior officials and regional industry leaders, the conference offered direct, firsthand exposure to Hong Kong’s stable business climate, transparent governance and uninterrupted global connectivity. Face-to-face engagement with decision makers from the region effectively cleared up outdated external misunderstandings, firmly establishing Hong Kong’s role as a window for national opening-up and a hub for cross-border regional collaboration. It proved that the city’s institutional uniqueness remains its most reliable, long-term competitive edge in driving Asia-Pacific integration.

For Hong Kong, the meeting delivered practical, far-reaching benefits that align closely with its five-year development goals. Its focus on people-centered fiscal policies, digital infrastructure financing, green finance expansion and inclusive financial growth mirrors exactly the strengths Hong Kong has built over many years as an international financial center.

As a leading global hub for green finance, Hong Kong possesses deep experience in cross-border green bond issuance, sustainable project verification and international ESG standard adoption. The city’s vibrant fintech landscape and inclusive financial support for small enterprises and grassroots communities also fit perfectly with current regional development trends. Robust cross-economy exchanges during the gathering accelerated knowledge exchange, and will attract regional capital flows, and strengthen structured cooperation across the Asia-Pacific.

These tangible cooperation gains will drive Hong Kong’s economic diversification and industrial transformation, facilitating improvement in local livelihoods and sustainable urban development. The high-level regional conference cemented Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center and enhanced its capacity to contribute to national opening-up and regional economic advancement.  

In the bigger picture, the APEC Finance Ministerial Meeting brought together national support, institutional strengths and local development momentum in one major international platform. It positioned Hong Kong at the center of Asia-Pacific financial dialogue, allowing the city to fully seize regional cooperation opportunities, maximize its advantages, and promote inclusive and high-quality growth.

The author is a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.