Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan launches European visit to promote Hong Kong's asset allocation advantages.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po embarks on a European visit. In Paris, France, he visited the French Asset Management Association and stated that for French investors seeking both fund security and investment returns, Hong Kong, with its advantages of fund and talent flows under the framework of "One Country, Two Systems", a thriving financial ecosystem, and connectivity to both the Mainland and global capital markets, is an ideal location for their diversified asset allocation. The French Asset Management Association is the main professional association representing the asset management industry in France, with around 400 members, including approximately 330 asset management companies which collectively manage about 90% of the assets in the French asset management industry, totaling 5 trillion euros. During the meeting, Paul Chan Mo-po pointed out that Hong Kong's economy has steadily grown in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, and its financial system is stable. The International Monetary Fund and two major credit rating agencies have recently given positive evaluations of Hong Kong's economy and fiscal policies. The Hong Kong stock market saw a 28% increase in 2025, with several leading Mainland technology companies listing in Hong Kong. The asset management industry has a scale of nearly 3.9 trillion euros, with over 3,300 family offices, most of which manage assets exceeding $50 million USD, creating a thriving ecosystem for asset and wealth management. Additionally, the Greater Bay Area has a population of 87 million and a GDP over 1.7 trillion euros, presenting substantial demand for offshore asset allocation. Paul Chan Mo-po also visited the think tank Paris Asia Center and met with several directors. The center focuses on researching geopolitical strategies, international relations and governance, economic and social development dynamics, and is one of the important institutions in France specializing in Asian strategic and geopolitical analysis. During the meeting, Paul Chan Mo-po shared the latest economic and social situations in Hong Kong, as well as the future directions and key areas of development, and exchanged views on international economic and trade situations and China's development with the association directors. Paul Chan Mo-po emphasized that Hong Kong's "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement will be upheld in the long term, with competitive advantages based on various aspects such as common law, free port status, low tax regime, stable business environment, predictable economic and financial policies, and connectivity with the Mainland capital markets, making Hong Kong the best gateway for international capital to access opportunities in China. In recent years, in addition to developing trade and finance, efforts have been made to cultivate the innovation and technology industry, attract companies and talent to Hong Kong, and promote the development of emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and biomedicine. The vast market and development of emerging and future industries in the Greater Bay Area will create bigger application scenarios and development space for European products and companies. Furthermore, under the national policy of "dual circulation", more Mainland companies will establish factories and expand business in Southeast Asia and Europe through Hong Kong. He welcomed more diverse exchanges between the Paris Asia Center and Hong Kong, including organizing delegations to visit Hong Kong, strengthening mutual understanding between the two places, and facilitating more opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefit in the financial and business sectors.