The Budget speech, delivered by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday, is an unequivocal rebuttal to the many egregious naysayers about the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s alleged economic decline. Contrary to the recurring misinformation aimed at belittling us and diminishing our international standing, Chan presented irrefutable data on our robust economic performance. Despite…
Hong Kong does not plan to get another transfer from its Exchange Fund in the next five years, the finance chief has said, citing a new medium-range forecast explaining why the rare move will not be repeated. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po elaborated on his fiscal plan on Saturday, after his budget announcement to withdraw…
A proposed high-level committee that will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) could help tech start-ups in Hong Kong mitigate legal and geopolitical challenges, as well as gain access to important databases for model training, market leaders have said. But the experts also told the South China Morning Post on Thursday that the committee, which was…
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), which operates Asia’s third-largest stock exchange, reported record high annual profit for the second straight year, thanks to higher market turnover and robust listing activity, it said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday. Net profit in 2025 increased 36 per cent to HK$17.75 billion (US$2.28 billion), or HK$14.05…
Hong Kong is betting big on innovation, artificial intelligence and redoubling its focus on its international financial centre role as it aligns its economic future with the country’s development goals, the financial secretary has said while unveiling a budget allocating billions of dollars to these sectors. Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday spotlighted the development of…
Hong Kong’s government investment agency will take on a bigger role in attracting commercial property investment while advancing the establishment of an alliance focused on Chinese-developed RISC-V chips, as the financial secretary pledged additional funding to the corporation in Wednesday’s budget speech. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), which manages HK$62 billion (US$8 billion) in…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s finance chief, Paul Chan Mo-po, will unveil his latest budget on Wednesday, revealing an earlier-than-expected operating surplus after three years of deficits. While the improved fiscal position – driven by a stock…
With Hong Kong set to unveil its annual budget, economists have said the city should strengthen its role in pushing the internationalisation of the Chinese yuan as Beijing presses ahead with financial opening while keeping stability firmly in view. From expanding offshore yuan products to using its stablecoin regulations as a sandbox for potential cross-border…
Hong Kong must exercise fiscal prudence, carefully weighing social needs while maintaining adequate reserves to guard against unforeseen circumstances, the finance chief has said as he outlined the principles of the budget he will deliver on Wednesday. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also revealed the purple cover of the coming 2026-27 budget, saying…
Hong Kong’s improving fiscal position has prompted a groundswell of calls for the government to offer more “sweeteners” in the coming budget, including a cross-party demand for more tax relief for the middle class, but economists have cautioned against such across-the-board measures. They were more supportive of targeted spending, a cause taken up in recent…