Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)'s chief executive, Bonnie Chan, on Wednesday said more global investors are keen to invest in Asia's markets, against the backdrop of rising geopolitical risks.

Speaking at the 40th General Assembly of Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges Federation (AOSEF) in Central, Chan also said HKEX is committed to building a "larger, deeper, and more vibrant" Asian market ecosystem, along with its regional peers.

In delivering a speech at the event, Chan noted international investors' exposure to Asia had already doubled to around US$6 trillion between 2014 and 2024, while the region's capital markets jumped fourfold since 2000 to over US$34 trillion by 2024.

She also said that the 17 member exchanges under AOSEF account for roughly a quarter of the global market capitalisation.

"We believe this is a defining moment for Asia's exchanges," she told participants, many of whom are bourse operators from the region.

"Asia is rich in science and technology innovation, entrepreneurial talent, companies with global ambitions, diverse economies and populations, vast capital pools and vibrant investor demographics.

"We're consistently hearing global investors express a desire to increase participation in the region's capital markets, especially amidst persistent geopolitical volatility," she said.

The finance veteran called on regional bourses to build a more "connected" Asian market ecosystem, citing that HKEX had recently launched cross-listed, co-branded indices with Bursa Malaysia as well as Korea Exchange to attract global investors.

The city's bourse operation, she added, was also exploring more dual-listing opportunities following the signing of agreements with several exchanges in Southeast Asia.

"What HKEX can offer our exchange partners is a single venue that provides unrivaled connectivity to the opportunities of the Chinese mainland, as well as to global capital," she said.

"We also offer a commitment to the continuous enhancement of our platforms and products across asset classes, and a commitment to the continuous enhancement of the diversity, breadth and liquidity of our market."

Separately, Chan noted the city's Stock Connect schemes are channelling over 70 percent of the total international ownership of the mainland's A-shares, and the city's bourse is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.



Edited by Tony Sabine