Hong Kong’s finance chief has pledged to further integrate financial services with technology innovation to foster a thriving ecosystem, following a surge in investor interest in artificial intelligence-related stocks during the first trading day of the year.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also emphasised Hong Kong’s role as an international capital market in fuelling the growth of frontier mainland Chinese tech firms with the city’s funding and liquidity.

“We welcome these enterprises to list and raise capital in Hong Kong and also encourage them to settle in the city to establish research and development (R&D) centres, transform their research outcomes, and set up advanced manufacturing facilities,” Chan said on his weekly blog.

“We support them in establishing regional or international headquarters in Hong Kong to reach international markets and strategically expand across Southeast Asia and the globe.”

The Hang Seng Index kicked off 2026 with a bang, surging over 700 points – a 2.8 per cent jump that marked its strongest opening since 2013.

Innovation and technology giants spearheaded the rally, with the Hang Seng Tech Index soaring 4 per cent as investor appetite for AI-related stocks reached a fever pitch.