Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) hosted a ceremony at its Exhibition Hall this morning to mark today's successful launch of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (Shenzhen Connect).

The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, C Y Leung, was the guest of honour.  He was joined by China Securities Regulatory Commission Vice Chairman Fang Xinghai, Professor K C Chan, Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission Chairman Carlson Tong, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Norman Chan, Qiu Hong, Deputy Director of the Central People's Government's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, Jin Liyang, Executive Vice President of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Que Bo, Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Yao Meng, Director and Chief Executive of the China Securities Depository and Clearing (Hong Kong) Company Limited.

There were nearly 600 guests at the ceremony and about 150 people from the news media.

Shenzhen Connect builds on the solid foundation of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme launched in 2014. The expanded list of eligible stocks offers international and Hong Kong investors direct access to most companies traded in Mainland China for the first time.  There are also more choices for Mainland investors, with 100 small cap stocks listed in Hong Kong now available through Shenzhen Connect.  The aggregate quota for Stock Connect was abolished in August, allowing institutional investors to execute their investment strategies more flexibly.  The daily quota, though it remains in place due to risk management considerations, has effectively doubled.

"Shenzhen Connect is taking our mutual market access to a new horizon by opening up another Mainland market for international and Hong Kong investors.  Under ‘One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong is in a unique position to build connectivity with the Mainland markets and to facilitate the gradual and orderly opening of the Mainland's capital account," said HKEX Chairman C K Chow.

HKEX Chief Executive Charles Li said the significance of Shenzhen Connect is multi-fold.  "Shenzhen Connect proves the Connect programme is not only flexible and scalable but also an important part of Hong Kong's market infrastructure and our strategy for the long term," Li said.  "By broadening mutual market access, overseas investors can make use of Hong Kong as a convenient access point to Mainland China, while Mainland investors can use Hong Kong as their first stop as they begin to diversify their assets beyond Mainland China’s borders.  By playing this dual role, Hong Kong will grow as a wealth management centre alongside our traditional role as a global capital formation centre." 

Market highlightsof the first trading day under Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.

Watch the highlights of the launch ceremony.

  

The guest of honour, C Y Leung, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, speaks to guests at the launch ceremony for Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.

HKEX Chairman C K Chow hails Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as another milestone for HKEX during today's launch ceremony.

HKEX Chief Executive Charles Li speaks at the ceremony about the significance of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect. 

Guests join in a toast to celebrate the launch of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect

(From left to right): Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Que Bo, HKEX Chief Executive Charles Li, Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission, Carlson Tong, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR, Qiu Hong, HKEX Chairman C K Chow, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, C Y Leung, Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Fang Xinghai, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Norman Chan, Executive Vice President of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Jin Liyang and Director and Chief Executive of the China Securities Depository and Clearing (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Yao Meng.

HKEX Chairman C K Chow presents Jin Liyang, Executive Vice President of Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), with a bull sculpture with a certificate as a gift to mark the launch of Shenzhen Connect.  HKEX received a sculpture entitled Venture Bull from SZSE.  Bulls are symbols of strength and power, as well as positive signs in stock markets, and the two sculptures represent the Shenzhen and Hong Kong markets developing side by side. HKEX commissioned Hong Kong artist Helen Pun to create "The Bull".

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