Hong Kong Eyes More Central Asian Listings Ahead of Lee’s Delegation

Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee Ka‑chiu, will lead a high‑level delegation to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in early June, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) chief executive Bonnie Chan Yiting has said the city is positioning itself as a prime destination for Central Asian firms seeking secondary listings.

"We want to make sure that we are a very accessible market when it comes to global companies wanting to explore accessing a deeper capitalising platform," Chan told reporters, adding that HKEX is actively pursuing closer collaboration with its counterparts across the region.

Central Asia’s largest economy, Kazakhstan, is a key Belt and Road partner and an emerging financial hub, with a GDP of US$302.7 billion last year. In September, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan issued a 2 billion‑yuan (US$280.8 million) bond in Hong Kong – the first listing in the city by a Central Asian state‑owned enterprise.

Last year, tungsten miner Jiaxin International Resources completed a dual listing on both the Hong Kong and Kazakhstani exchanges, marking the first such dual listing for a company from the country.

Hong Kong’s deep liquidity and growing regional ties make it an attractive platform for Central Asian firms looking to raise capital and expand.