A film academic says the world has waited a long time for an Asian woman to be awarded a best actress Oscar and Michelle Yeoh's win on Monday shows the academy's willingness to recognise talent from places other than the West.

Jason Coe, an assistant professor at Hong Kong Baptist University's film academy, said Yeoh is a versatile actress who deserves recognition for her performance in sci-fi comedy "Everything Everywhere All at Once".

"Even though she's been in Hollywood films ever since 'Tomorrow Never Dies', she's never really received the sort of recognition of her star power," he told RTHK.

"In Asia we know that she's basically the biggest star in the Pacific world. In the West there hasn't been an acknowledgement of her acting abilities, and I think that 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' works really well to showcase her abilities."

Coe said Yeoh's win is significant as it demonstrates that it is possible for people from places outside the US or Britain to win the greatest accolade that can be given to an actress.

The academic added that Hong Kong means a great deal to Yeoh, and that is not only because she started her career in the city in the 1980s.

"You don't have a film like 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', or even 'The Matrix' or all these films that really change the way that action is done in Hollywood, without Hong Kong and the innovations of Hong Kong cinema," he said.

"And one of those innovations has always been the featuring of female protagonists as heroes and Hong Kong has always been attractive for major talents who can play these kinds of female roles."

Meanwhile, Kevin Yeung, Hong Kong's minister in charge of cultural affairs, congratulated Yeoh, calling her a "shining star with impressive achievements."

In a statement, the official noted that Yeoh rose to prominence in the Hong Kong film industry before moving to the international stage.

"Hong Kong's film sector has nurtured many outstanding actors and filmmakers," he said. "This is a testimony to the strong potential of Hong Kong's talents and film industry."