Hong Kong can boost regional prosperity through ‘soft connectivity’, adviser says

Hong Kong’s institutional advantages and close ties with mainland China and the wider world can contribute to the Asia-Pacific region’s prosperity, a key adviser to the city’s leader has told a conference.

Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit, said on Monday that Hong Kong was transforming itself into the region’s institutional “harbour” – where trade from regional markets could converge and take advantage of the city’s “soft connectivity” advantages.

He said such “soft connectivity” could help transform Hong Kong’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle into effective regional governance by embedding Chinese standards into the process of sharing prosperity across the region.

Wong delivered a keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Think Tank Forum in neighbouring Shenzhen, stressing Hong Kong’s intention to develop regional “soft connectivity”, including digital trade agreements, carbon markets and cross-border logistics policies.