Chen Yiting: The market value of Asian stock markets has quadrupled since 2000, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange builds bridges to connect Asian capital markets

The CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (00388.HK), Charles Li, stated in a blog that with a large influx of investors and capital, the market capitalization of the Asian stock market has quadrupled since 2000, reaching USD 34.4 trillion by the end of 2024, showing very strong growth momentum. The amount of investment from international investors in the Asian stock market has doubled from 2014 to 2024, reaching approximately USD 6 trillion. The Asia region also holds tremendous growth potential.

Charles Li pointed out that China has the largest and most exciting growth opportunities and capital pool in the Asia region. Other Asian markets also have many innovative companies, well-capitalized, and diverse groups of investors. As a core market infrastructure, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing is committed to building bridges and establishing a truly interconnected Asian market.

He mentioned that recently, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing has collaborated with Bursa Malaysia and Korea Exchange to launch jointly named indices, with the weight distribution of these two indices being approximately 60% for Hong Kong-listed companies and approximately 40% for overseas-listed companies; the next phase of product innovation will further enhance regional connectivity, providing a richer variety of investment tools based on the needs of local investors, making it easier for them to effectively hedge and build investment portfolios, thereby attracting different types of investors to participate in the Hong Kong market.

He also noted that a recent memorandum of understanding was signed with Bursa Malaysia to explore how to develop more dual listing pathways. Currently, over 150 Southeast Asian companies are listed in Hong Kong, raising a total of over USD 4.3 billion, making Hong Kong the most favored overseas listing destination for Southeast Asian companies. As more high-quality companies from Malaysia and Southeast Asia emerge, entering the international market may naturally become the next step for these enterprises.

Charles Li stated that by deepening regional cooperation and building connectivity bridges, existing advantages can be fully utilized to gather more capital in Asia, strengthen the Asian regional capital pool, optimize market price discovery functions, and enhance the resilience of capital markets