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2023 is ‘year of hope’ for Hong Kong, says Financial Secretary Paul Chan, as city vies to reclaim former status

  • Chan went all out to convince financial bigwigs gathered in Saudi Arabia that Hong Kong is clawing its way back to its pre-pandemic global hub status
  • ‘We had been out of touch with the rest of the world because of Covid,’ Chan admitted

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan told delegates 2023 will be ‘a year of hope and opportunities for Hong Kong.  Photo: SCMP Handout
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po described 2023 as “a year of hope and opportunities” for Hong Kong as he went all out to convince financial bigwigs from around the world that the city is clawing its way back to pre-pandemic normality.
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Speaking on Tuesday at a conference in Saudi Arabia, he told investors to rest assured that Hong Kong will continue to “function as a free international financial centre with the best international regulatory regime”.

Chan said a government plan to invest US$8 billion in attracting new talent will help reposition the city as not just a centre of global finance, but as a major innovation and technology hub.

“We had been out of touch with the rest of the world because of Covid,” Chan said. “Although there have been uncertainties and challenges externally, 2023 is a year of hope and a year of opportunities.”

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Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks new investment in Middle East as part of bid to revive the economy

Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks new investment in Middle East as part of bid to revive the economy

The three-day Future Investment Initiative Institute Conference, which took place in Riyadh, brought together leaders from across the world to discuss the future of finance in a post-pandemic environment.

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