Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Monday said Hong Kong will continue to play an important role in helping companies in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) go global. Speaking at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Listed Companies Summit, Chan described the GBA as a developed economy, and said companies in the area are vital for the country's opening-up. He said the SAR, as an international financial centre, can help create more opportunities and add value for GBA companies. "Under the geopolitical haze, mainland companies are facing unprecedented challenges when they raise funds in the Western markets. Hong Kong will reform the financial market in response to the situation to gather more domestic and overseas funds to support projects and companies in the GBA," Chan said. "As long as they are beneficial to companies, the development of Hong Kong's financial market, and the development of the country, we will actively study and push forward the policies." Qi Bin, deputy director of Beijing's liaison office, said there are 5,000 listed companies in the GBA, and they help promote cooperation in areas like finance, economics and trade. "I hope listed companies in the GBA could actively make use of Hong Kong's advantages, and treat the city as a base for overseas expansion. While consolidating the American and Western markets, we should work together and expand into emerging markets like the Asean, Middle East and Latin America," he said. Hong Kong's member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Starry Lee, meanwhile thanked the country for supporting the city's development as an international financial centre, international aviation hub and offshore renminbi hub.
