Hong Kong: The AI Hub Linking Chinese Companies to Southeast Asian Markets

Hong Kong has become a pivotal "living lab" where Chinese companies can develop their artificial intelligence capabilities before entering the Southeast Asia market. At a seminar, the city’s finance chief, Paul Chan Mo-po, emphasized the strategic importance of Hong Kong in helping Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies enhance their financial infrastructure and services.

With a collective GDP of US$3.7 trillion, ASEAN is projected to be the fourth-largest economy globally by 2030. Hong Kong hosts over 70 of the top 100 global banks and seven of the world’s top 10 insurance companies, underscoring its strong financial service sector.

Chan noted that Hong Kong’s strength in fintech makes it an ideal environment for developing innovative services, particularly as a new supercomputing centre is set to open soon.

The AI Supercomputing Centre serves as a vital tool for companies navigating digital transformations. As an efficient platform powered by AI models and big data, it began trials last month with four companies. Hong Kong’s capabilities in data and application scenarios further position it as a nexus for AI solutions.

Chan’s comments followed the inauguration of KN Group, a Chinese fintech firm focusing on AI and big data in financial services. The company opted for Hong Kong to host its corporate treasury and R&D centres, highlighting the city’s growing appeal as an innovation ecosystem.