Financial Secretary Paul Chan says Hong Kong will strengthen its role as a super connector by building itself up as an international gold trading hub and digitalising trade and logistics.

Writing on his weekly blog, Chan noted that he will depart for Davos, Switzerland on Sunday night for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, where some 3,000 political, business and academic leaders from over 100 countries and regions will gather.

Chan said he would meet leaders from different places, exchange views on the global economy, give public speeches and join panel discussions to promote new opportunities in Hong Kong under the country's 15th Five Year Plan.

He said these discussions will be taking place amid a backdrop of geopolitical change.

"Since entering 2026, we have all witnessed how unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism have intensified, even brazenly infringing on other countries' sovereignty to pursue self-serving economic interests, severely undermining the basic principles and bottom lines of international relations," Chan said, in an apparent reference to the United States.

He added that these actions have eroded trust and will profoundly reshape the global trade landscape, therefore rebuilding cooperation through dialogue is an urgent challenge that leaders must meet.

As such, Chan said Hong Kong needs to accelerate the upgrading of its trade ecosystem to enhance its position as an international trade centre.

Its development as an international gold trading centre, and the accelerated drive to digitalise the city’s logistics infrastructure and trade ecosystem, Chan said, are examples of these efforts.

He also wrote about his upcoming budget, saying authorities are focusing on areas such as empowering different industries to accelerate development, providing more high-quality job opportunities, and improving social welfare.

Chan stressed the need to balance the development needs of society with the need to control government expenditure.