Hong Kong competitive, attractive as global financial center: HKEX chief executive

HONG KONG, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong remains a highly competitive and attractive global financial center, Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin, the new chief executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), said Tuesday at an online forum.

Addressing the LME Asia Metals Seminar, Aguzin, who took office on Monday, said Hong Kong is still a very effective gateway to and from the mainland, the world's second-largest economy, and the financial hub has great resilience and continuing relevance to both global markets and economy.

"It is home to open, globalized and transparent markets, robust infrastructure, internationally-aligned regulatory regimes, the rule of law, the free flow of information and capital, and a deep pool of talent," he said.

His remarks came as the Hong Kong economy gradually recovered from double blows of social unrest and the COVID-19 epidemic over the past two years.

Aguzin is optimistic that Asia, led by a strong economic recovery in the mainland, will "bounce back stronger than ever before as manufacturing, consumption and infrastructure return to full speed," pointing out that Hong Kong has a key role to play in the process.

HKEX, a major part of Asia's financial infrastructure, will continue to play a central role in the evolution of interconnected global financial markets in the years to come, supporting the strong demand for capital to fuel growth, ideas, and sustainability, he said.

Aguzin started his three-year term as the HKEX chief executive on Monday, succeeding Charles Li Xiaojia.

Aguzin used to serve as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the international private bank business of JPMorgan Chase &Co. and its Asia Pacific chairman and CEO.