Part I Finance in Hong Kong, 1 Hong Kong’s Financial Markets: Evolution and Overview

Subject(s):

Securities — Investment business

The chapter provides an in-depth discussion and analysis of finance in Hong Kong, today one of the world’s major international financial centres, focusing on historical developments along with some of the unique or unusual features of those markets. The chapter considers financial law in relation to financial activity as a whole, and within each segment of Hong Kong’s markets. Hong Kong has been a port of trade since the mid-nineteenth century and subsequent centre of commerce. However, only recently has it developed as a major financial centre. It is known for its unusual institutional foundations, the nature of which are analysed and contrasted at intervals in this book with those of other sophisticated financial hubs.