Competitive International Financial Platform

With its strengths in banking, capital market and asset management, Hong Kong provides an all-encompassing and high-quality financial platform for investors, financiers, asset managers, funds and financial institutions alike from all over the world. Hong Kong is also a preferred location for corporate treasury centres.

To further enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international financial centre, the HKMA has established a Market Outreach division to actively engage with market stakeholders and to help them take advantage of the growth opportunities in Mainland China financial markets, green and sustainable finance, and fintech through Hong Kong's world-class financial platform.

Banking System

Banks are among the most important channels for fund-raising in Asia. The quality of Hong Kong’s banking system enables it to play a key role in the region and offer a wide variety of products and services. Hong Kong is Asia’s largest banking hub for Chinese and international banks. In light of the rapid technological advancements, a number of initiatives have been launched to move Hong Kong into a new era of Smart Banking. Please click here for details of the Smart Banking initiatives.

Assets of HK banking industry

Capital Market

Hong Kong's highly liberal, liquid and deep securities market has attracted many international banks and securities houses to build their presence here, providing another critical channel for companies to raise funds in the form of equity and debt. Hong Kong is among the world’s largest equity fundraising centres and has been the largest centre for arranging Asian international bond issuance for 6 consecutive years. Bond arrangement and execution activities encapsulate the entire process of structuring, book building and allocation, which capture up to 80% of the value-adding of a bond issuance. Hong Kong is also well ahead of other major international financial centres in terms of arranging first-time bond issuance, capturing around two-thirds of the Asian market.

HK's market capitalisation 2021 Asia ex-Japan bond issuance

Asset Management

Hong Kong is a major regional fund management centre with a large concentration of international fund managers, advisory businesses and private banks. Specifically, Hong Kong is the largest international asset management hub in Asia. It is also the largest cross-border private wealth management and hedge fund centre in Asia, and the second largest private equity centre after Mainland China in Asia.

Hk's asset under management and Number of licensed asset maanger in HK Private Equity capital under management in 2021

Corporate Treasury Centres
It is common for corporates to use corporate treasury centres (CTCs) to simplify and centralise their treasury activities. Being an international financial centre with a full range of services available, Hong Kong has been an ideal hub for corporate treasury activities. The development of Hong Kong as a CTC hub will bring more banking, financing and risk management activities to Hong Kong, deepen our capital markets and provide impetus to the development of headquarters economy to Hong Kong. To encourage more corporates setting up their CTCs in Hong Kong, the Government has also introduced tax incentives.
Corporate treasury centres

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Professional Services Platform and Talent Development

Hong Kong provides a one-stop shop for essential professional and support services.Hong Kong provides a one-stop shop for essential professional and support services

Other Topics about Hong Kong as an International Financial Centre
Last revision date : 04 March 2024