Chen Haolian visited Italy to promote the advantages of the Hong Kong Writers' Family Office Hub.

Deputy Director of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong, Chen Haolian, visited Rome, Italy from Monday to Wednesday to attend the European Family Office Investment Summit. He also met with local financial institutions and government officials to actively promote Hong Kong as a leading international financial center and hub for family offices. Chen Haolian delivered a keynote speech at the summit and engaged in discussions with representatives of various European family offices to introduce Hong Kong's competitive policy environment. Many family offices expressed interest in considering setting up regional offices in Hong Kong, and colleagues from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council were present to facilitate follow-up support for them to establish themselves in Hong Kong. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong stated that Hong Kong has become the second largest global cross-border wealth management center and the largest in Asia. Hong Kong ranks second worldwide in the number of ultra-high net worth individuals and first in Asia. The family office business in Hong Kong continues to grow, with over 3,380 single-family offices operating in Hong Kong by the end of 2025, representing a growth of over 25% in two years. It is estimated that the operating expenses alone have brought about HK$12.6 billion in annual revenue to the local economy, directly employing over 10,000 full-time professionals. The government aims to assist at least 220 family offices in establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong between 2026 and 2028. In the first four months of this year, 36 family offices have already registered in Hong Kong or expanded, with around 160 more actively considering expanding to Hong Kong, of which around 30 are from Europe. During the visit, Chen Haolian met with several Italian banks, fund companies, and state-owned enterprises to exchange ideas. He introduced Hong Kong's advantages in asset and wealth management business and professional services to encourage them to leverage Hong Kong as a gateway to access the Asian and Chinese mainland markets, utilizing Hong Kong's sophisticated financial infrastructure and international market to assist their clients and investors in asset allocation in Asia. Some attendees expressed their intention to expand businesses in Hong Kong, while others have plans to visit Hong Kong for study tours in the near future. Additionally, Chen Haolian met with the Director of the Financial Department of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte, the Chief Financial Officer of Italy's sovereign financial institution CDP, Fabio Massoli, and the leadership of the Italian Banking Association to exchange views on bilateral financial cooperation and development, discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in promoting capital flow, supporting cross-border investments for enterprises, and financial technology.