Chen Yiting: Developing the Central Asian market is a key focus area for the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange can provide a diversified financing platform for different companies.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will lead a delegation to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia in early June. Charles Li, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (00388), who will accompany the delegation on the visit, stated that the development of dual listings is an inevitable trend, and expanding into the Central Asian market will be a key focus for the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the future. Progress has already been made in this direction, and it is hoped that this visit will further increase these efforts. Charles Li pointed out in a media interview that the economies of Central Asian countries are experiencing rapid growth, with various industries such as infrastructure, mining, and emerging industries flourishing. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has a high degree of inclusivity in terms of financing and can provide a diverse financing platform for different companies. Last year, a Kazakh mining group simultaneously listed on the Astana International Financial Centre and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and it is believed that this dual listing model will become a trend. Charles Li is confident that Hong Kong can provide a good choice for companies from around the world. Regarding differences in regulatory rules between Hong Kong and markets such as Central Asia, Charles Li stated that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has always worked with different exchanges worldwide to deploy measures in advance to facilitate companies from various regions to come to Hong Kong. He believes that this is a trend that will continue. In addition to focusing on the technology sector, which has been popular among investors in recent years, the group is also aware that many countries and companies hope for more diversified development based on complex geopolitical situations in recent years. The group will adapt to future trends and strive to ensure that different sectors and industries can consider the Hong Kong Stock Exchange when they have financing needs. Charles Li also mentioned that as of this year, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has raised $20 billion USD (approximately $156 billion HKD) through IPOs, $30 billion USD (approximately $234 billion HKD) through additional share issuances, and has an average daily trading volume of more than $270 billion HKD, demonstrating that Hong Kong's depth as a fundraising hub and market liquidity.