Hong Kong is “open for business” — that was the official narrative of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit that kicked off with a series of related gatherings this week, following prolonged pandemic curbs. But the event, which brought top bank executives to the city, has triggered criticism from human rights advocates.
The summit’s theme of “navigating beyond uncertainty” proved prescient after a rocky start, with reports of some senior executives withdrawing at the last minute. As the week draws to a close, it remains to be seen just how convincing that message was.
Speaking by video link from outside of the city after testing positive for COVID-19, Finance Secretary Paul Chan — without a hint of irony — told attendees at Monday’s FinTech Week launch that “We’re back.”