Policy Address

Proactively Expand Markets and Deepen Overseas Networks

39. We will continue to actively expand and deepen our overseas networks, including forging financial co-operation with the Middle East and the region of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), organising more international financial mega events, and exploring further collaboration with Islamic markets in the area of finance.

Further Enhance the Securities Market

40. Relevant measures include:

  1. opening up new sources of capital overseas – Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) tracking Hong Kong stock indices will be launched in the Middle East, seeking to attract allocation of capital in the market to Hong Kong stocks;

  2. striving for more listing of enterprises in Hong Kong – We will leverage the advantages brought about by our mutual access with the Mainland's financial markets to attract international enterprises to list in Hong Kong. We will also encourage large-scale Mainland enterprises to list here, particularly aiming to have more prominent initial public offerings in the near term;

  3. optimising vetting of listing applications – The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the HKEX will announce specific measures for further optimising relevant procedures to provide greater certainty regarding the time required for vetting of listing applications; and

  4. boosting market efficiency – The SFC and the HKEX will boost market efficiency and lower transaction costs, including reviewing the arrangement for deposit of margin, and refining the requirements on placement of margin and collateral.