Week of large-scale events shows Hong Kong is ‘open for business’ and offers clear advantages, treasury chief says
- Treasury minister Christopher Hui reveals Hong Kong FinTech Week is set to draw more than 12,000 attendees, down from earlier estimate of about 20,000
- Busy week ahead, with city to also host international investment summit from Tuesday to Thursday, followed by Friday kick-off of Hong Kong Sevens
A string of big, high-profile events Hong Kong is hosting this week will show the world the city is “open for business” and offers clear advantages, the treasury chief has said, even as he significantly reduced the expected attendance for one conference.
After nearly three years of cloistered existence under Covid-19 curbs, the city is preparing to welcome visitors to FinTech Week that starts on Monday, the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit that opens the following day and the Hong Kong Sevens, which kicks off on Friday. The tournament was last held in 2019 and has been delayed five times over the past two years because of the pandemic.
“I think these series of events where locals and people from overseas will participate will firstly show the important message that Hong Kong is open for business and that our advantages are obvious,” Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu told a radio programme on Sunday. “We want to take this opportunity to show local and overseas investors or businesspeople what Hong Kong’s advantages are.”
Hui also revealed that the government-backed Hong Kong FinTech Week was now expected to draw more than 12,000 attendees, down from an earlier estimate of about 20,000, and over 300 organisations.
The conference, which focuses on the future of fintech, emerging technologies and digital assets, is also predicted to attract more than 3 million participants online from over 80 economies, according to co-organisers the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and InvestHK, the government’s investment promotion arm. More than 400 sponsors and exhibitors had also signed on, they said.
The three-day banking summit, organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), will bring together about 200 global financial leaders from more than 100 major institutions, including private equity and venture capital firms.
They included more than 40 global group chairs or chief executives, and their participation was a vote of confidence for the city, HKMA chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man on Thursday said.