Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professional Association: Clear direction of the five-year plan is positive for both the industry and Hong Kong's overall competitiveness.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee Ka-chiu, has delivered Hong Kong's first five-year plan and a new Policy Address. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professional Association stated that the plan takes as its important pillars Chapter 2, which strengthens the four major centers and the building of a highland for talent aggregation, and Chapter 4, which deepens the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and builds a global cooperation network. It not only consolidates Hong Kong's traditional advantages as an international financial, shipping, and trade center, but also cultivates new growth points through innovation and technology, high-end talent, regional coordination, and international cooperation. The association believes that the plan has a clear direction and comprehensive layout, is highly aligned with national development strategy, and is positive for both the securities and futures professional sector and Hong Kong's overall competitiveness. The association welcomes the series of measures proposed by the Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, in the 2026 Policy Address to consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international financial center. The report is highly consistent with the association's earlier submission in multiple core areas, with the right direction and a pragmatic and enterprising approach, which objectively helps improve market efficiency, reduce systemic risks, promote innovation, and attract international capital. From the perspective of the industry's diversified ecosystem, the association hopes that the government and regulators will continue to pay attention to issues such as market data fees for small and medium-sized brokerages, funding support for compliance transformation, Islamic finance development, the De Minimis principle in anti-money laundering, and the transparency of stock lending in Trillions of MPF, so that policy benefits can be more inclusive and the market structure more balanced. Overall, the association believes that the financial chapter of the 2026 Policy Address has a clear direction and pragmatic content, and the association will continue to cooperate with the government, regulators, and HKEX to promote the effective implementation of various measures.