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Hong Kong is broadening its equity markets, deepening its offshore yuan business and expanding further into gold trading under its first five-year plan for economic and social development, as the city seeks to defend its standing as Asia’s top financial centre and close the gap with London.
Unveiled on Wednesday by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu alongside his 2026 policy address, the blueprint outlines a package of financial plans to “consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre”.
The plan arrives with Hong Kong having retained its position as the world’s third-ranked financial centre and Asia’s top hub in the latest Global Financial Centres Index. With a score of 756, the city sat five points behind top-ranked New York, one point behind second-placed London and one point ahead of regional rival Singapore, highlighting the razor-thin margins in the battle for market dominance.
At the core of Hong Kong’s strategy is a revitalised equities market. The local exchange is set to study looser listing rules – including adjusted market-capitalisation thresholds – for technology companies of “strategic importance” while broadening secondary listing channels by adding the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange to its recognised-bourse list.
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