In his latest blog post, Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), pointed out that Hong Kong’s economy is advancing steadily, registering growth for 14 consecutive quarters. The city’s economic growth reached 5.1% in the first half of 2026, outperforming market expectations. Actively integrating into the country’s overall development landscape and aligning with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is pressing ahead with the formulation of its first five-year plan to sustainably boost the city’s long-term development momentum.
Chan stressed that Hong Kong’s sound development momentum is underpinned by the coordinated advancement of development and security, with the two reinforcing each other. Development and security are never an either-or choice, but an integrated and interconnected undertaking. Under the institutional strengths of “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong’s core competitive advantages — including its free port status, international profile, openness and diversity, role as a gateway connecting the mainland and the world, and simple and low tax regime — remain firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, a secure, stable and predictable investment environment serves as a fundamental prerequisite for pooling global capital, enterprises and talents, and constitutes the primary consideration for long-term investment decisions by domestic and overseas investors.
He noted that Hong Kong has continuously strengthened its national security safeguards in recent years, fostering social stability and further optimising the business environment. Benefiting from a secure and orderly development ecosystem, Hong Kong has achieved remarkable rankings in multiple global assessments covering international finance, innovation and technology, talent competitiveness and overall urban competitiveness. The number of regional headquarters set up by overseas parent companies in Hong Kong exceeded 11,000 last year, hitting a new historic high. Foreign chambers of commerce and multinational enterprises have repeatedly voiced their confidence in Hong Kong’s economic prospects.
Against a backdrop of complex and volatile global geopolitics, Chan described Hong Kong as both a “safe harbour” where domestic and overseas capital, enterprises and professionals can pursue development with full confidence, and a “development harbour” brimming with industrial opportunities and growth potential.
Moving forward, the HKSAR Government will continue to join hands with all sectors of society to leverage high-level security to underpin high-quality development. Upholding the fundamental principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and ensuring its steady and successful implementation, the Government will drive Hong Kong to embrace new glories in its transition from stability to prosperity.