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The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, concluded his last leg of visit to Helsinki in Finland yesterday (April 15, Helsinki time).
Professor Chan started his day by attending a breakfast roundtable meeting hosted by the Finland Chamber of Commerce, during which he had in-depth discussion with key representatives of the country's financial and banking institutions on the opportunities arising from Hong Kong's Fintech ecosystem and China's continued opening up.
He then had a meeting with a board member of the Bank of Finland, Mr Seppo Honkapohja, exchanging views on the impact of global economic outlook on the monetary policies.
In the afternoon, Professor Chan called on the Minister of Justice and Employment of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Mr Jari Lindström. They shared efforts by the two governments in nurturing and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Professor Chan then joined a roundtable discussion on Fintech development hosted by Finpro, a public organisation which helps local small and medium-sized enterprises go global and encourages foreign direct investment in Finland. Representatives of leading Fintech start-ups and accelerators shared their experiences in setting up businesses, nurturing talents and exploring market opportunities.
Before leaving Helsinki, Professor Chan paid a visit to a cyber security firm where he got to know more about the advanced technology adopted and its application in the financial services sector.
Professor Chan arrived in Helsinki on April 14 (Helsinki time) and he met separately with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mr Martti Hetemäki, and the Director-General of Financial Supervisory Authority of Finland, Ms Anneli Tuominen, to discuss various regulatory issues, in particular those concerning Fintech.
He also paid a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Finland, Mr Yu Qingtai, and attended a dinner hosted by the Finland - Hong Kong Trade Association, where he met with key business leaders in Finland to enhance co-operation.
Professor Chan visited Moscow in Russia, Riga in Latvia and Helsinki in Finland from April 10 to 16 to foster ties between Hong Kong and these countries. He will arrive back in Hong Kong this afternoon (April 16, Hong Kong time).
Ends/Saturday, April 16, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:38
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