Chen Yiting: Increasing allocation of Chinese assets has become a consensus. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange will continue to increase investment in technology.

On January 27th, Charles Li, the CEO of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388), expressed at the ASIA FINANCIAL forum breakfast meeting that two years ago, she was still debating with people about whether China was worth investing in. Now, there is a consensus that there is a need to increase allocation to China, "from a low weight to a weight that is in line with the market," as she believes this is progress. She mentioned that they will further expand their product range, improve market efficiency, and meet the growing demand from international investors to increase their investments in China. Talking about the future development of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Charles Li pointed out that the competition for modern exchanges is no longer just with traditional exchanges, but also emerging digital platform exchanges are rising. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange must develop into a platform with greater breadth and depth. She stated that stable coins, 24-hour trading, and tokenization are the three most commonly discussed topics. She understands that investors are concerned about how exchanges will improve on the technical operational level to enhance clarity and speed in execution and trading efficiency. In the future, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will continue investing in technology to maintain its leading edge. Additionally, Laura M Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Financial Development Council, stated at the breakfast meeting that last year was an unprecedented year with widespread impacts from policy fluctuations. Investors are examining whether their portfolios are overly concentrated in a certain area and are hoping that their portfolios can avoid being affected by policy changes. Hong Kong assisted investors in diversifying their investments from mature markets to emerging markets last year, as well as helping mainland investors diversify their assets globally. Laura M Cha emphasized that the world is constantly progressing, and Hong Kong cannot afford to stand still. The Hong Kong Financial Development Council must play its role in proposing relevant policies to ensure that Hong Kong remains competitive and to promote Hong Kong to global investors and institutions.