FS visits Dalian and attends Summer Davos 2026 (with photos/video)
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Mr Chan attended the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting in the morning. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.
Mr Chan then attended a discussion session organised by the World Economic Forum, during which he joined a dialogue with a number of financial, political and business leaders from the Mainland and overseas on the topic "Is Finance Dividing Us?". Speaking at the session, Mr Chan said that he did not consider the world to be forming a fragmented financial system. However, he said the trend of economies using their own currencies for trade and investment settlement to diversify foreign exchange risks and reduce costs would continue and develop naturally. He noted that China accounts for an important share of global trade, driving the increasingly frequent use of the Renminbi in cross-boundary payments and settlements, and that the international monetary system is therefore steadily developing towards greater diversification. He pointed out that emerging payment systems and cross-boundary infrastructure should be seen as complementary options that increase choice, enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen financial security and resilience, rather than as zero-sum substitutes.
On Hong Kong's role, Mr Chan said that, despite uncertainties brought by geopolitics, overseas capital still attaches great importance to the Mainland's innovation capabilities and attractive valuations, and institutional investors from Europe and the United States remain important participants in Hong Kong's initial public offering and secondary markets. He said that, while consolidating its status as an international financial centre, Hong Kong will actively promote fintech innovation, including tokenised assets, on the premise of prudent regulation and safeguarding financial stability. This includes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government taking the lead in issuing tokenised bonds to expand the investor base, as well as promoting the development of green finance, and gold and commodities trading.
Mr Chan also called on the Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee, Mr Xu Kunlin, and the Governor of Liaoning Province, Mr Wang Xinwei, today. At the meeting, Mr Chan said that Liaoning enjoys prominent locational advantages and a solid industrial foundation, and is highly complementary with Hong Kong's economy, offering huge potential for the two sides to deepen co-operation. During his visit to Dalian, he organised Hong Kong financial and innovation and technology institutions and enterprises to actively engage in in-depth docking with Liaoning industries, helping more quality Liaoning enterprises to "go global". He said he looked forward to deepening and expanding exchanges and co-operation with Liaoning in areas including economic and trade, financial, innovation and technology, shipping, and logistics, so as to promote the prosperity and development of Liaoning and Hong Kong.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan attended a promotion conference on supporting Mainland enterprises in going global, organised by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) in Dalian. The conference focused on how to leverage Hong Kong's financial, trade, and innovation and technology centres, as well as its unique advantages of being highly internationalised, to help Liaoning enterprises go global and expand their presence worldwide. Member of the Party Leadership Group of the People's Government of Liaoning Province and Vice Governor, Ms Bai Ying, attended the event. The event attracted over 180 leaders and enterprise representatives from the local political and business sectors, innovation and technology sector, and various institutions.
Speaking at the event, Mr Chan noted that Liaoning, as one of the provinces with the strongest industrial capabilities in the country, has been continuously enhancing its innovation capacity and is accelerating the building of a modern industrial system. Liaoning enterprises have strong innovation capabilities. Coupled with strong manufacturing capabilities, as well as vast application scenarios and industrial chains in the northeastern region, they have great potential in developing overseas markets. He pointed out that Hong Kong's new listing market is active and gathers international capital and professional institutions. Enterprises coming to Hong Kong can not only raise funds efficiently, but also enhance their corporate governance standards, international profile and ability to attract global talent. In recent years, the HKSAR Government has been vigorously developing innovation and technology, strengthening research and development as well as infrastructure, and promoting the integrated development of education, technology, talent and industries. Through the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited, it supports hard technology and future industries by investing in small, early-stage and long-term projects. In addition, innovation and technology parks such as the Science Park and Cyberport, together with the HKSAR Government's task force on supporting enterprises in going global, are committed to providing incubation, professional support and risk management services for innovative enterprises. Mr Chan sincerely invited enterprises in Liaoning and the northeastern region to make good use of Hong Kong's international financial and innovation and technology platforms, as well as its talent advantages and professional strengths, to explore overseas markets.
At the event, representatives of a number of Mainland and overseas enterprises that have already established a presence in Hong Kong also shared their experiences of developing in Hong Kong and going global. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport, and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park also introduced at the conference Hong Kong's overall advantages in financing, its innovation and technology ecosystem, and policy support.
Mr Chan also attended a C-Suite roundtable co-organised by the South China Morning Post and the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited today, where he briefed business leaders from the Mainland and overseas on Hong Kong's latest situation and development strategies.
In the afternoon, he also attended a sharing session for Hong Kong businesspeople and enterprises in Liaoning, organised by the Beijing Office of the HKSAR Government and its Liaoning Liaison Unit, where he had in-depth exchanges with local Hong Kong businesspeople and Hong Kong people on business experience. In the evening, he also attended an exchange dinner organised by the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Liaoning.
Mr Chan will continue his activities in Dalian tomorrow morning (June 25) before proceeding to Xi'an for a visit.
Ends/Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Issued at HKT 22:15
Issued at HKT 22:15
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