Looking beyond IPOs to build a broader investment ecosystem in Hong Kong

HKEX is expanding its product suite with new fixed-income, derivatives and connectivity offerings, giving global investors more ways to gain exposure to China’s markets

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The 55km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is an example of the Greater Bay Area’s substantial infrastructure assets that could appear on the menu of options for foreign capital in the future. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 1:30pm, 29 Jun 2026

As fundraising by mainland Chinese companies strengthens capital flows, Hong Kong is again demonstrating its value as a bridge between China and the rest of the world.

Yet while the IPO revival has captured most of the headlines, HKEX is pursuing a broader ambition: evolving from a stock exchange operating in a traditional way into a multi-asset marketplace offering investors a growing range of investment, connectivity and risk-management tools.

Over the past year, the exchange has introduced a series of products and market enhancements to deepen connectivity with mainland China, expand investment opportunities and equip investors with more sophisticated tools to manage their risk.

Bond Connect opened the mainland’s bond market to international investors in 2017. Swap Connect followed in 2023, providing access to the onshore interest-rate swap market. That same year, HKEX launched Northbound Swap Connect by expanding access to longer-tenor swap contracts and introducing additional reference rate options. These initiatives sit alongside Stock Connect and MSCI China A50 Connect Index Futures, all vehicles that make China’s markets more accessible to international investors.