The Hong Kong Financial System

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the Hong Kong financial system, a system that has undergone immense change in recent years. Written by scholars and professionals in the finance sector, the book covers all aspects of the financial system--commercial banking and non-depository institutions, the major financial markets, monetary policy, international financial relations, and information technology.

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the financial system of Hong Kong, a system which has undergone immense changes in recent years. The book, written by scholars and profesionals in the finance sector, covers all aspects of the financial system--commercial banking and non-depository institutions, the major financial markets, monetary policy, international financial relations, and information technology.

The financial markets of Hong Kong have a reputation for volatility, but careful analysis of past behaviour reveals consistent trends and coherent actions. This study, first published in 1991, at a time of uncertainty before Hong Kong’s transfer to China in 1997, analyses each of the financial markets in the colony, and explains the activities of banks, deposit-taking companies, the stock exchange, and markets in capital, gold, futures, unit trusts, and foreign exchange. Examining these in terms of structure, regulation and in competition, it constitutes not just a description but a thorough analysis of the characteristic dynamics of each market.

The main macro-financial risks relate to extensive linkages to Mainland China, stretched real estate valuations, and exposure to shifts in global market and domestic risk sentiment, compounded by escalating U.S.-China tensions. Stress tests show that the financial system is resilient to severe macro-financial shocks, but there are pockets of vulnerabilities in foreign bank branches, investment funds, households, and nonfinancial corporates. Hong Kong SAR’s financial sector is also exposed to physical and transition risks from climate change.

This book analyzes the role of Hong Kong as a prominent financial centre . Issues such as taxonomy of financial centres, reasons for Hong Kong's past success, competition from other centres, policy issues, and speculation upon Hong Kong's future are discussed.

Based on previously unpublished archival records, this book studies the origins of Hong Kong's post war rise to global prominence. It explores the expansion of the gold market, stock market, banking system, foreign exchange market, and insurance in the years 1945-1965. This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of Hong Kong, the impact of financial regulation and, more broadly, the role of financial centres in the international economy in the post war period.

This Financial System Stability Assessment report on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) highlights that HKSAR’s financial sector is very well regulated, with the capacity to withstand a diversity of shocks. The sector, however, faces major risks, which puts a significant premium on effective liquidity management, macroprudential oversight, and microprudential supervision. The regulation and supervision framework of the financial sector is of a high caliber, and displays a high level of compliance with international standards, but there remains scope for further strengthening. Financial market infrastructures are highly sophisticated, but further enhancements are needed to fully comply with new international standards.

This Financial System Stability Assessment report on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) highlights that HKSAR’s financial sector is very well regulated, with the capacity to withstand a diversity of shocks. The sector, however, faces major risks, which puts a significant premium on effective liquidity management, macroprudential oversight, and microprudential supervision. The regulation and supervision framework of the financial sector is of a high caliber, and displays a high level of compliance with international standards, but there remains scope for further strengthening. Financial market infrastructures are highly sophisticated, but further enhancements are needed to fully comply with new international standards.