Best of many advantages

As a gateway to the mainland, Hong Kong has over the past decades thrived on the rapid growth of the world's second-largest economy and become one of the most prosperous regions in the Asia Pacific.

Hong Kong's success largely hinges upon "one country, two systems," said Charles Li, a renowned banker who worked for big financial institutions including HKEX, JPMorgan and Merrill Lynch, respectively, over the last two decades.

While foreign investors here find better access to the enormous and ever-expanding mainland market, mainland companies see Hong Kong as a springboard for their global journey and a superior fund-raising platform.

Over the past years, Hong Kong's closer financial ties with the mainland, which feature bond and stock trading programs, have cemented its status. At the end of 2020, mainland enterprises accounted for more than half the companies listed here and held 80 percent of aggregate market capitalization.

"The more integration, the more benefits," said Hong Hao, chief researcher at BOCOM International.

While many parts of the world are still struggling with COVID-19, Hong Kong has bounced back thanks to a fast-recovering mainland economy.

Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, highlighted opportunities brought by a new five-year plan of the country, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The HKSAR government has strong confidence and ability to fully utilize Hong Kong's unique advantages and competitiveness, and grasp the enormous opportunities... leading Hong Kong's economy to prosperity," he said.