Victor Chu: The new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme has received over 3300 applications and is expected to attract 99 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Hong Kong Financial Services and Treasury Bureau Director Austin Zhang recently revealed at the 40th anniversary cocktail reception of the Investment Funds Institute that the new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme has received over 3,300 applications so far, with an expected investment amount of approximately HK$99 billion, reflecting strong global confidence in the Hong Kong market. Zhang stated that Hong Kong's asset and wealth management industry continues to demonstrate resilience and vitality. The asset management scale in Hong Kong increased to HK$35 trillion last year, with net inflows into SFC-authorized funds nearly doubling year-on-year, proving that Hong Kong remains the top choice for international investors. He pointed out that the government and regulatory authorities have introduced a series of measures to strengthen Hong Kong's open and internationalized market, rule of law environment, and rich pool of professional talent, while continuously improving market infrastructure. The government is also continuously optimizing tax incentives for funds and single family offices to create a more competitive environment for wealth management activities. Zhang also mentioned that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's comprehensive fund platform plans to launch more services within the year, covering the fund sales process, with the aim of improving efficiency, reducing transaction costs, and expanding distribution coverage.