HONG KONG CONNECT


	Hong Kong FinTech Week 2023 and initiatives to foster co-development of fintech and real economy The Hong Kong FinTech Week 2023 was concluded on 5 November. Themed “Fintech Redefined”, the event this year featured more than 500 speakers, 650 exhibitors and tens of thousands of participants from over 90 economies either in person or virtually. The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, announced three major initiatives to foster co-development of fintech and real economy at the Main Conference of the FinTech Week on 2 November. These include launching a new Integrated Fund Platform, welcoming cross-boundary e-CNY applications to benefit inbound and outbound visitors between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and promoting real economy-related applications and innovations by the Virtual Assets and Web3.0 sector, as well as further development of the regulatory framework. More details on Hong Kong FinTech Week 2023 here. More details on the three major initiatives here.

	Hong Kong Maritime Week 2023 The opening ceremony of Hong Kong Maritime Week 2023 (HKMW 2023), a major annual event of the maritime and port industries in Hong Kong, was held on 20 November, bringing together maritime leaders home and abroad for a week of activities that reinforce Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime centre. Showcasing the Hong Kong maritime industry as a strong cluster, this year’s theme of “Recharging the Maritime Industry” reflected the resilience and vision that define the city’s maritime sector. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr John Lee, said in his speech at the opening ceremony that the “one country, two systems” principle has bestowed upon Hong Kong its unique role as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”, entrusting Hong Kong with the steadfast support from the Central Government and unparalleled connectivity with the world. He said that the National 14^th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong’s role in the global maritime sector, with a focus on the development of high value-added maritime services. Signature activities of HKMW 2023 included the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference and the 3rd World Maritime Merchants Forum. Close to 50 activities were also organised by local, Mainland and international marine institutes in support of HKMW 2023. More details here.

	Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit The main session of the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, was successfully concluded on 7 November. The event brought together around 300 international and regional leaders from 160 global financial institutions, with more than 90 institutions represented by their group chairmen or CEOs. Under the theme of “Living with Complexity”, the main summit discussed the trends and changes that are reshaping the global financial industry, including the macroeconomic challenges posed by uncertain inflation trajectory, global growth headwinds and monetary tightening, as well as the evolving investment landscape. In addition, the speakers discussed the opportunities from three longer-term trends: Chinese economy, technology and sustainability. Mainland policymakers also shared insights into the conditions and future direction of the Chinese economy. The three-day Summit concluded on 8 November. More details here.

	Hong Kong Legal Week 2023 The five-day Hong Kong Legal Week 2023, an annual flagship event of the legal sector and the Department of Justice (DoJ), themed “Onward & Forward: Connecting the World” began on 6 November. During its various conferences and forums, prominent legal and dispute resolution experts and academics from around the world are brought together to discuss a wide range of important topics, including international legal co-operation, mediation, arbitration, and opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Belt and Road Initiative. The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, said in his welcome remarks that Hong Kong has distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support from the motherland while being closely connected to the world under “one country, two systems”. He pointed out that in line with the Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2023, DoJ will set up a dedicated office and an expert group within next year to take forward the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. Leveraging Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status, the Academy will promote exchanges among legal professionals, judges and government officials in the Asia-Pacific region as well as around the world. More details here.

	Financial Secretary attends APEC Meetings in San Francisco The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the 30^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) on behalf of the Chief Executive on 16 and 17 November in San Francisco to exchange views on issues such as promotion of regional connectivity and economic prosperity, climate change and green transformation, digital economy, realisation of greater inclusiveness and sustainable development. Mr Chan pointed out that global green transformation requires policy co-ordination, as well as funding and technical co-operation and support. Hong Kong is an international financial centre and Asia’s green financial hub, with a green technology ecosystem that has been growing vibrantly in recent years. Hong Kong, together with the sister cities in the GBA, will make concerted efforts in developing into an international centre of green technology and green finance. Mr Chan looked forward to enhancing co-operation with other APEC members to achieve high-quality development that is sustainable, green and more inclusive. During his trip to San Francisco, Mr Chan also attended the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) on 13 November. More details on APEC AELM here. More details on APEC FMM here.



	Three Hong Kong films showcased in Australia Three Hong Kong films “Back Home”, “Over My Dead Body” and “Vital Sign” were showcased in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth from 29 October to 7 November in the Hong Kong Screening Week of the 2023 Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival. HKETO hosted a reception in Melbourne and Sydney on 29 October and 1 November respectively to facilitate exchanges between the filming industry in Hong Kong and Australia. Addressing the audience, the Director of HKETO Sydney, Miss Trista Lim, said that Hong Kong has always been a fertile ground for cultural and creative industries and the Government is determined to realise the positioning of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as supported under the National 14^th Five Year Plan. Miss Lim also highlighted the initiatives announced in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address on promoting filming and creative industries, notably the injection of HK$4.3 billion to the Film Development Fund and the CreateSmart Initiative, and the launch of the Filming Financing Scheme for Mainland Market and the Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme. The Director of “Back Home”, Nate Ki, and the Director of “Over My Dead Body”, Ho Cheuk-tin, participated in the Q&A sessions in person after the screenings to share with local audiences the making of the movies. The Director of “Vital Sign”, Cheuk Wan-chi, also took part in online Q&A sessions. More details on the Hong Kong Screening Week here.

	Director of HKETO Sydney attended the Food and Wine Appreciation Dinner organised by the Victoria Chapter of the HKABA The Director of HKETO Sydney, Miss Trista Lim, attended the Food and Wine Appreciation Dinner organised by the Victoria Chapter of the Hong Kong Australia Business Association (HKABA) on 3 November. Miss Lim shared with the participants the vibrancy of the wine trading industry in Hong Kong, noting that Australia has grown to become the second largest origin of wine imports for Hong Kong. Miss Lim also introduced the latest initiatives in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address and stressed that the Government is dedicated to enhance Hong Kong’s development of the “Eight Centres” in the National 14^th Five-Year Plan, highlighting the stamp duty reduction on stock transfer in Hong Kong to strengthen the stock market’s competitiveness to reinforce the city’s status as an international financial centre.

	Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney attended the seminar jointly organised by the New South Wales Chapter of the HKABA and Fish Talk The Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Henry Mak, attended the “Leveraging a Global Mindset for Career and Personal Success” seminar jointly organised by the New South Wales Chapter of the HKABA and Fish Talk on 8 November. Mr Mak said that exciting times lie ahead for Hong Kong as it takes full advantage under “one country, two systems” to capitalise on both the China and global advantages. He introduced the latest initiatives in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address, notably the proactive measures to trawl for enterprises as well as to attract and retain talents, including developing a “Headquarters Economy”, the launching of “multiple-entry visas” for foreign staff of companies in Hong Kong to travel to the Mainland with priority visa processing, as well as expanding the coverage of universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme by adding eight top-notch institutions from the Mainland and overseas to the list. Mr Mak encouraged participants to visit Hong Kong and explore the unlimited opportunities there.



	*Asian Financial Forum (Hong Kong)* To be held from 24 to 25 January 2024, the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) is the region’s premier platform that brings together influential leaders from government, finance, and business communities globally for ground-breaking discussions and exchange of insights on the global economy from an Asian perspective. At AFF 2023, over 2 500 in-person visitors and 4 500 virtual attendants from more than 70 countries and regions, along with over 120 exhibitors participated for thought leadership and discussions while witnessing the latest fintech advancements, emerging business strategies, and expanding their professional networks. More details here.

	*Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2024 (Hong Kong)* The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2024 will be held on 21 January 2024, returning as a full-scale event with the overall runner quota raised to 74 000. There will be five event categories which include the Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10km, 10km Wheelchair Race and Wheelchair Trial (2.5km). The internationally-renowned event is further boosted with the addition of the Asian Marathon Championships, which it hosts for the fifth time, affirming Hong Kong’s status as a centre for major international sports event. Top runners from nearly 45 Asian countries and regions will be invited to compete in Hong Kong. More details here.

Updates on Latest Situation in Hong Kong