FS begins visit to London, UK (with photos/videos)
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Upon arrival, Mr Chan met with representatives from family offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He highlighted Hong Kong's investment opportunities in the areas of finance and innovation and technology (I&T), the city's vibrant ecosystem for philanthropy and impact investing, and its high-quality living environment. He welcomed them to establish a presence in Hong Kong. Mr Chan also held a meeting with a financial institution that is planning to set up operations in the city.
Later, Mr Chan paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United Kingdom, Mr Zheng Zeguang. They exchanged views on Hong Kong's future development and China-UK relations.
In the evening, Mr Chan attended the Hong Kong Dinner hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and delivered a keynote speech, during which he briefed political and business leaders in the UK on Hong Kong's latest developments and emerging opportunities.
Mr Chan pointed out that exchanges between Hong Kong and the UK in the areas of trade, investment and culture have become more frequent over the past year. Bilateral trade continues to grow, and two-way investment is expanding.
He stressed that the "one country, two systems" principle continues to be the cornerstone of Hong Kong's prosperity. Hong Kong's rule of law and common law system remain robust and are widely recognised internationally. Over the past year, international capital has continued to flow into Hong Kong, and more multinational enterprises have expanded their presence in the city — a clear reflection of international confidence in Hong Kong's business environment. For instance, the Hang Seng Index has risen by around 30 per cent this year following an 18 per cent increase last year. Hong Kong also leads the world in initial public offering (IPO) fundraising. Its asset and wealth management business as well as bank deposits have also continued to grow. These positive developments have attracted more international financial institutions to set up operations in the city.
On the economic front, Hong Kong has recorded gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 11 consecutive quarters, with the full-year growth forecast revised upward to 3.2 per cent. Tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) activities have rebounded strongly, with visitor arrivals expected to reach 49 million this year.
Looking ahead, Mr Chan said that finance and I&T are two major engines driving Hong Kong's growth. In finance, Hong Kong is further strengthening its role as a "super connector" — helping Mainland enterprises go global while actively fostering closer ties with markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. Key initiatives include facilitating mutual access through mutual listing of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and strengthening regulatory co-operation. Technology is also empowering Hong Kong's capital markets. Nearly 60 per cent of IPO fundraising this year came from new economy companies, reflecting the effectiveness of recent listing regime reforms.
At the same time, Hong Kong is becoming a global leader in digital assets and Web3. The city recently issued the world's largest tranche of tokenised green bond, marking a step forward in asset tokenisation. Regulatory regimes are also in place for digital assets and stablecoins. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is also building new growth sectors. So far this year, 12 metal warehouses in the city have been approved by the London Metal Exchange, supporting Hong Kong's development into a commodity trading hub. Plans are also underway to develop an international gold trading centre.
In I&T, Mr Chan noted that Hong Kong is focusing on areas where it has a competitive edge — including artificial intelligence, biotech, fintech, and new energy and new materials. As part of its efforts to attract high-quality enterprises, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises has successfully brought in over 100 high-impact tech companies over the past three years. These include leading global pharmaceutical firms such as AstraZeneca and GSK from the UK.
Mr Chan highlighted that the Northern Metropolis will serve as a key platform for driving I&T development. The Government is accelerating development in the area, including easing planning restrictions and adopting more flexible development models such as large-scale land disposals for high-impact projects, to drive the deep integration of land use and industry development. Preferential policy packages will also be introduced to attract top-tier enterprises. The Lok Ma Chau Loop area will become a cross-boundary innovation corridor, where capital, talent, goods, data and even biosamples will flow seamlessly from the Mainland to Hong Kong. These will be particularly appealing to international firms in the fields of AI and biotech.
In conclusion, Mr Chan said that Hong Kong's development prospects remain bright. He welcomed more UK enterprises and professionals to invest, do business, and pursue career development in Hong Kong to seize the vast opportunities ahead.
Mr Chan will continue his visit in London today (London time, November 26), before proceeding to Milan, Italy for the next leg of his trip.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Issued at HKT 10:09
Issued at HKT 10:09
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