(Yicai) Nov. 4 -- Hong Kong’s government has unveiled a five-year development roadmap for its financial technology sector, aimed at boosting the city’s standing as an international hub for digital finance, along with steps to help Chinese mainland companies expand abroad.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is supporting the blockchain sector by promoting the tokenization of bond issuance to enhance market efficiency, Chief Executive John Lee said yesterday at the Hong Kong FinTech Week × StartmeupHK Festival 2025.

Two key issues will be asset tokenization and infrastructure development, said Eddie Yue, who heads the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, while elaborating on the city’s Fintech 2030 plan. 

There will be a push to tokenize real-world assets, including financial instruments, such as the regular issuance of tokenized government bonds, Yue said, and robust data and infrastructure will be built to enhance cross-border payment connectivity, creating opportunities for corporate credit, trade financing, and personalized financial services for citizens.

Yue also noted that the HKMA will bolster cybersecurity through new authentication frameworks and early-warning systems, and guide the industry to prepare for post-quantum cryptography to safeguard financial stability.

"The question is no longer whether artificial Intelligence will change finance, but how to ensure that the transformation aligns with public interest and economic development, built on the foundations of trust, transparency, and security," he said.

Yue also revealed that the Project Ensemble Sandbox, launched in August last year, is about to enter its next pilot phase, allowing for real-value transactions using digital assets and tokenized deposits. Initially, it will focus on tokenized money market funds, while collaborating with other regulatory bodies to incubate mature use cases. 

The Hong Kong government will also assist mainland firms in using the city as a springboard to expand their overseas businesses, facilitating cross-departmental cooperation to open up overseas markets and global capital channels, Lee noted.

Lee said the government will support mainland technology companies in raising funds in Hong Kong, encourage overseas firms to pursue secondary listings in the city, and welcome the return of Chinese businesses listed abroad.

Editor: Tom Litting