BOCHK expo spotlights Hong Kong wealth shift

Hong Kong’s wealth management industry placed renminbi internationalisation, enterprise expansion and ageing-linked investment demand at the centre of its growth agenda as Bank of China and Television Broadcasts Limited held the Wealth Management Expo 2026.

The event, staged on 27 June under the theme “Empowering Enterprises to Go Global, Pioneering the Blue Ocean of Silver Economy”, brought together senior government officials, banking executives, fund specialists and business figures at a time when Hong Kong is sharpening its role as an international asset and wealth management centre. The programme focused on three closely linked priorities: helping companies expand overseas, strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a global offshore renminbi hub, and turning demographic change into investable opportunities across healthcare, insurance, lifestyle and retirement planning.

Michael Wong, Acting Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, and Stephen Chan, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, officiated at the event. Other participants included Ko Wing-man, Standing Committee member of the National Committee of the CPPCC; Siu Sai-wo, General Manager for Business Operations at TVB; Pauline Ngan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Mainland Headwear Holdings; Sam Yu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association; Jack Yang, RMB Business Executive Director of BOCHK; Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; Angus Chan of Chinachem Group; and Wilson Tang, Chief Executive of BOC Group Life Assurance.

The expo’s opening forum examined how wider use of the renminbi could support enterprises expanding beyond their home markets. Speakers discussed changing global investment conditions, cross-border settlement, capital-market access and Hong Kong’s role as a bridge between the mainland and international investors. The focus reflected a policy push to deepen offshore renminbi activity while helping companies manage foreign exchange, financing and liquidity risks during overseas expansion.

Stephen Chan said Hong Kong was positioned to benefit from the 15th Five-Year Plan’s support for the city as an international asset and wealth management centre. BOCHK would align with government policy by deepening regional business development and promoting wider use of the renminbi, while contributing to Hong Kong’s standing as an international financial centre.

The event also gave prominence to the silver economy, a fast-expanding theme in Asian wealth and business strategy as ageing populations reshape demand for health services, insurance, property, retirement products and lifestyle consumption. The summit forum explored how traditional industries could adjust supply chains and develop services for older consumers, with particular attention to healthcare, elderly care, insurance and technology-enabled services.

Hong Kong’s wealth industry has entered the year with strong structural tailwinds. The city’s asset and wealth management business stood at more than HK$35 trillion at the end of 2024, with more than half of assets sourced from outside the mainland and Hong Kong. The number of single-family offices exceeded 3,380 by the end of 2025, up by about 680 from the end of 2023. Hong Kong has also overtaken Switzerland as the world’s largest cross-boundary wealth management centre, with cross-border wealth booked in the city reaching about $2.9 trillion in 2025.

That momentum is being matched by more intense competition and tighter compliance expectations. Banks and wealth managers are expanding advisory services, digital platforms and family-office offerings, but cross-border flows are facing closer scrutiny as authorities seek to ensure funds move through proper channels. The challenge for the city is to preserve its appeal to private clients while remaining aligned with broader policy priorities, including corporate treasury management, offshore renminbi use and regulated investment connectivity.

The expo’s workshops covered global fund and equity-market conditions, retirement wealth planning, emerging-market investment and multi-asset income strategies. One session examined renminbi assets and China’s equity and bond markets in the context of deeper economic links with ASEAN, the Global South and Belt and Road partner countries. Another looked at income opportunities across Asia-Pacific and emerging markets as investors reassess portfolios amid volatile global equity and bond markets.