Hong Kong has a messaging problem. Beijing’s ongoing crackdown on overseas investment has spooked international capital, and the city that built its identity as Asia’s freewheeling financial gateway now finds itself playing defense. Financial Secretary Paul Chan is making the case that Hong Kong is not just surviving the turbulence, it’s thriving.
The pitch leans heavily on numbers: over 11,000 overseas companies have set up shop in Hong Kong, IPO fundraising has hit record levels exceeding HK$280 billion, and local banks are sitting on more than HK$14 billion in digital assets.
The numbers behind the confidence campaign
IPO fundraising surpassing HK$280 billion puts Hong Kong ahead of both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ on several metrics. That’s a remarkable stat for a city that many Western commentators were writing off after the 2020 National Security Law sent shockwaves through the business community.
Foreign chambers of commerce are reporting positive business outlooks at multi-year highs.
