John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
HONG KONG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural Asia Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Summit kicked off Thursday in Hong Kong, with participants discussing how Asia can influence and drive global development under the current climate of accelerated social and economic evolution and complex geopolitical landscape.
John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said that Hong Kong is the world's preeminent gateway, and a "super value-adder," which is made possible by the unique "one country, two systems" principle.
Lee said that he led a high-profile Hong Kong business delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in February, yielding a series of agreements.
Hong Kong will continue to play an engaging role in defining and shaping the megatrends of this 21st century, he said.
Laura Cha, chairperson of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), said to appreciate the importance of global connectivity, one can look at the opportunities emerging in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, or the diversification and the capital raising opportunities presented by China and rising Asia.
Over the last year, HKEX has made significant progress in deepening the channels of connectivity between Hong Kong and the Middle East, including debuting Asia's very first exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking shares listed in Saudi Arabia, she said.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, said that Hong Kong is one of the world's major hubs, not only in the capital market or the financial market, but also with innovation.
He said the PIF already has offices in Hong Kong and is looking to set up offices in the mainland next.
CEO of the FII Institute Richard Attias said that Hong Kong is always one of the top cities in terms of financial markets, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is still very dynamic and very energetic.
"We have a long-term relationship with the Hong Kong stock exchange management," he said, adding that it is a natural process when thinking about coming to Hong Kong.
Themed "Megatrends Shaping Humanity," the FII Priority Hong Kong edition is organized by the FII Institute, with the HKSAR government and the HKEX as partners. The conference will conclude Friday, with about 1,000 participants from many parts of the world, including 100 guest speakers. ■
Guests attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
Laura Cha, chairperson of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
Guests attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
Yasir Al-Rumayyan (R), governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Asia Summit in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
