Hong Kong’s Financial Blueprint for the Future Outlined in Policy Address, Garnering FSDC’s Strong Support
17 Sep 2025
Hong Kong, September 17, 2025 – The Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) welcomes the focused initiatives for the financial sector outlined in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address.
The Policy Address highlighted several key growth areas, including further enhancing the infrastructure and investment offering of the equities market, the development of premier gold and commodity trading, the further advancing of a world-leading bond market, and the refinement of our asset management and digital offerings. These measures, alongside the sustained efforts that have helped Hong Kong maintain the third place in the Global Financial Centres Index, create a powerful momentum for the sector.
Mr. Benjamin Hung, Chairman of the FSDC, stated, “The multi-faceted approach in the Policy Address serves to broaden Hong Kong’s product offerings, deepen our market liquidity and enhance our global connectivity as an international financial centre. They invariably help attract foreign and Chinese listings and for corporates to use Hong Kong as a regional hub and treasury centre, ultimately to help them raise capital and manage their trade and investment flows more effectively.”
“The transition to T+1 settlement enhances Hong Kong’s competitiveness globally, whilst further improving the breadth and depth of the bond market alongside the development of gold and commodities trading provides a more comprehensive offering to international asset allocators. We look forward to contributing to the creation of the forthcoming Fixed Income and Currency Roadmap.”
The policy initiatives also encompass significant international and regional collaboration. Efforts include encouraging Mainland banks to establish regional headquarters in Hong Kong to serve Southeast Asia and the Middle East, a new US$1 billion investment fund established by the HKMA with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and leading delegations of banks and SMEs to explore opportunities in Southeast Asia. The HKEX will deepen cooperation with exchanges in Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to develop commodity and carbon trading businesses.
Dr. King Au, Executive Director of the FSDC, commented on the expansion of market offerings, saying, “We strongly support the Government’s desire to improve the marketing offering through the promotion of reinsurance business and the inclusion of real estate investment trusts (REITs) under mutual market access. These will significantly increase product diversity and liquidity. The focus on developing carbon audit services and studying Hong Kong’s role in the international carbon market, including standards and settlement systems, is also crucial. The FSDC has covered these areas in previous papers, and we are pleased to see them advanced.”