Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday told top-level bankers and financial industry leaders from around the world that "this is the moment" to do business in Hong Kong as the worst is behind the SAR and abundant opportunities await.

“Opportunity and timing are right here, right now in Hong Kong. This is the moment you have been waiting for. Go for it, get in front, not behind,” said Lee in a keynote speech to about 200 guests attending the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit.

The summit, organised by the Hong Kong Monetrary Authority, is taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel. Key figures from some of the biggest names in global finance are among the participants.

The CE told them Hong Kong was unique and irreplaceable, with both global advantages and the China advantage coming together in a single city. He said that Hong Kong reaped the benefits from both the East and the West.

"As the centre of economic gravity in the world shifts eastward, the mainland along with fast-growing economies throughout the region will be a major engine of global growth, and an abundant source of economic opportunities," Lee said.

The SAR is "perfectly positioned," he added, to glean the benefits of "this irreversible trend."

"Hong Kong always bounces back, better than ever," Lee said.

"We have full confidence in its tenacity, and its future. We are already seeing encouraging rebound."

The Hong Kong leader also introduced major initiatives set out in his Policy Address for attracting talent and enterprises.