Hong Kong and Shenzhen are stepping up cooperation in finance and artificial intelligence (AI) as part of efforts to position the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a world-class fintech hub, officials cited by the South China Morning Post said on Thursday.
Speaking at the “China Conference: Greater Bay Area” in Shenzhen’s Qianhai zone, Hong Kong undersecretary for financial services and the treasury, Joseph Chan Ho-lim, said the two cities aimed to better integrate their finance and technology sectors, with Hong Kong acting as a “superconnector” and “super value adder.”
As a global financial centre positioned to link mainland China with global markets, Hong Kong is also encouraging Shenzhen financial institutions to set up fintech subsidiaries in the SAR while supporting Shenzhen tech firms to leverage its capital markets.
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Chan said Hong Kong and the mainland were moving towards mutual recognition of fintech talent, with a new bridging programme for dual professional qualifications launched in late 2025 in collaboration with Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Industry leaders echoed the push. Xiao Ting, chairman and executive director of Bank of Communications (Hong Kong), said his bank had sharply increased lending to tech firms in Hong Kong last year as part of its alignment with China’s AI-plus strategy – which promotes AI’s ability to boost productivity across industries.
On the sidelines of the event, Qianhai Authority chief economic adviser Qu Hongbin said work was underway to expand a cross-boundary data corridor covering sectors such as banking and finance, with upgrades expected within the next one to two years.
