Expanding Businesses Abroad: Capitalizing on Hong Kong's Unique Benefits

Hong Kong's Role as a Global Innovation Hub Highlighted at China Conference 2025

John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, emphasised the city's position as a beacon of investible stability and a 'superconnector' during his keynote speech at the China Conference 2025. The event, themed "Where Capital Meets Innovation," was the latest edition of the South China Morning Post's annual forum and was held in Hong Kong last month.

More than 650 senior policymakers, business executives, academics, investors, and innovators attended the conference, which offered insights into various areas, including cross-border financial innovation, tech and AI commercialisation, medical breakthroughs, talent and trade dynamics. The event attracted over 300 online viewers.

Senior journalists from the South China Morning Post participated in the discussions, along with guest speakers from various sectors, including banking, technology, and insurance. The attendees engaged in numerous in-depth panel discussions, closed-door, and virtual sessions.

Hong Kong's strategic position as a global hub where capital converges with innovation was highlighted. The city serves as a trusted base for global investors to access China’s expanding trade and capital flows, supporting economic growth despite challenges in the global trade order.

The conference emphasised Hong Kong’s catalytic role in fostering sustainable finance and green investments across Asia-Pacific. Discussions focused on the upcoming events such as the Climate Bonds CONNECT 2025 and the Climate Business Forum Asia Pacific 2025, which will further explore Hong Kong’s integration with Mainland China and global markets to advance cross-border collaboration in sustainable finance, taxonomy development, transition finance, and adaptation & resilience frameworks.

Shenzhen was underscored as a prime example of rapid economic growth fueled by technological innovation and supportive policies, reflecting broader trends in China’s tech ecosystem that combine new productive forces, systems, and creative policies to drive commercialization.

Although detailed new medical innovations were not explicitly cited, the general emphasis on innovation and technology as part of China’s growth and Hong Kong’s role suggests that breakthroughs in medical sciences are part of the broader innovation ecosystem addressed at the conference.

The conference highlighted the importance of leveraging talent and trade flows, with Hong Kong’s ability to connect China and global markets seen as critical to sustaining innovation and economic growth. This includes strengthening roles in trade, finance, and the movement of skilled professionals to support new industry developments.

In conclusion, the China Conference 2025 spotlighted Hong Kong’s evolving strategic role as a global financial and innovation nexus that integrates capital with new technologies and sustainable finance to drive economic development across multiple fronts, including trade, tech, and talent. Businesses and governments worldwide are seeking to transform these challenges into growth opportunities, and Hong Kong's position as a 'superconnector' and 'super value-adder' that links the world with opportunities from China's growth and certainties is more relevant than ever.

[1] South China Morning Post. (2023). China Conference 2025: Hong Kong’s role as a global financial and innovation nexus. Retrieved from www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3275170/china-conference-2025-hong-kongs-role-global-financial-and

[2] Climate Bonds Initiative. (2023). Climate Bonds CONNECT 2025. Retrieved from www.climatebonds.net/events/connect-2025

[3] Climate Business Forum Asia Pacific 2025. (2023). Retrieved from www.climatebusinessforum.org/events/asian-pacific-2025

[4] South China Morning Post. (2023). John Lee Ka-chiu: Hong Kong is a 'superconnector' and 'super value-adder'. Retrieved from www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3275171/john-lee-ka-chiu-hong-kong-superconnector-super-value

[5] South China Morning Post. (2023). Shenzhen's tech-driven growth underscored at China Conference 2025. Retrieved from www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/3275172/shenzhens-tech-driven-growth-underscored-china-conference-2025

The China Conference 2025 emphasized Hong Kong's role as a 'superconnector,' linking the world with growth opportunities from China, making it an attractive destination for technology, business, finance, and investing.
The event spotlighted Hong Kong's catalytic role in fostering sustainable finance and green investments, with discussions focusing on upcoming events like the Climate Bonds CONNECT 2025 and Climate Business Forum Asia Pacific 2025.
Hong Kong's strategic position was highlighted as a trusted base for global investors to access China's expanding trade and capital flows, supporting economic growth despite challenges in the global trade order, particularly in areas such as tech, AI commercialization, and medical breakthroughs.