(Yicai) Feb. 11 -- Hong Kong, one of the world's top financial centers, serves as a "super connector and super value contributor" for Chinese mainland companies expanding overseas, with its status standing the test of time and not fearing competition, according to several local officials.

Hong Kong has the closest ties with the mainland compared to other global financial hubs, so the professional services it provides to mainland firms are a win-win for all, Patrick Lau, vice president of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, told Yicai. Businesses expand operations while professionals in the city secure service contracts, with the economy of the investment destinations also benefiting, Lau noted.

Hong Kong serves as an excellent "super connector," providing substantial assistance to mainland enterprises going global, Ma Jun, chairman and president of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, who previously served as a member of the People's Bank of China's Monetary Policy Committee, said to Yicai.

There is financing assistance, Ma said, noting that Hong Kong has a developed financial system, which offers private equity and venture capital funding. Companies can issue stocks or bonds in the capital markets or obtain loans from banks, and the city can provide various financing options depending on the different stages of business development, Ma pointed out.

In addition, Hong Kong can efficiently gather resources to empower companies, boasting many accounting, auditing, legal, and other service resources, as well as investment promotion agencies set up by Southeast Asia and the Middle East countries locally, Ma noted. Green-related firms or projects can receive green financing support in the city, achieve lower financing costs, and even access donations from charitable funds, Ma said.

Hong Kong has consistently played the role of a two-way bridge connecting the mainland and global markets, so expanding overseas through the city has become a choice for many companies, Ma stressed.

With the rise of regional financial hubs such as Singapore and Dubai, Hong Kong's status as a global financial center has faced challenges. However, its bourse reclaimed the world's top spot for initial public offerings last year, attracting leading companies from emerging industries, including artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles, and biopharmaceuticals, to go public there.

Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange span the globe, with the bourse welcoming firms from Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and North America last year, Gregory Yu, market supervisor of the bourse, told Yicai.

These companies choose to go public in Hong Kong mostly due to the market's liquidity, which ranks fifth worldwide behind only the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Yu pointed out.

Hong Kong is the world's largest offshore Chinese yuan business hub, the second-largest cross-border wealth management center, the third-largest exchange-traded products market, and the fourth-largest foreign exchange market.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev