Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan delivers a speech at the Plenary Session of the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, on June 17, 2026. Photo: Chan Mo-po's blog post

Hong Kong is a gateway for Chinese mainland technology enterprises to the world, and the clearest window into the mainland's innovation ecosystem for international capital, which demonstrates Hong Kong's role as a "super-connector" and "super value-adder," according to Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In a blog post on Sunday, Chan noted that when more mainland tech companies seek IPOs or secondary stock listings in Hong Kong, international investors can more directly participate in the rapid growth of innovative mainland industries, while companies can hone their international competitiveness within Hong Kong's regulatory framework and market discipline.

Chan said that he had observed a fundamental shift among mainland tech leaders after visiting several enterprises spanning artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, biotechnology and the low-altitude economy. These firms possessed solid technological foundations and business models validated in the domestic market, and their products were now entering the international marketplace, he said.

Notably, a growing cohort is choosing Hong Kong as a strategic base for adapting to global markets. "Hong Kong can help mainland technology companies be better understood, recognized, and ultimately appreciated by international capital," Chan wrote.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has become a key platform for financing and international expansion for mainland enterprises, with both the number of IPOs and the amount of funds raised hitting new highs in recent years, according to a recent report by the Securities Times. 

The report cited Wind data showing that 52 companies had listed on the HKEX from January 1 to May 6, raising a total of about HK$150 billion ($19.14 billion), up more than 520 percent year-on-year. 

Among the companies that have listed in Hong Kong this year, 25 were tech companies, accounting for nearly half, and their fundraising accounted for more than 60 percent of the total. The semiconductor, AI, high-end manufacturing, and new-energy sectors were the main drivers, according to the Securities Times.

Among them were star companies such as AI firms Biren Technology, Zhipu AI, Tianshu Zhixin, and MiniMax.

More technology companies are in line for Hong Kong listings. Among the 196 companies that submitted IPO applications this year, 70 were tech companies, accounting for 35.7 percent, the Securities Times reported.

As the mainland's "super connector" with international markets, Hong Kong can play a key role in trade, financial, and industrial collaboration during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

With its capital, talent, and institutional advantages under One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong can enhance its competitiveness in AI, finance, biomedicine, and other fields, and play a greater role in connecting the mainland and reaching overseas markets, Dong said.