Super connector: Charles Li, ex-CEO of HKEX

Charles Li, ex-chief of HKEX turned digital entrepreneur, tells about the enduring allure of Hong Kong as a financial hub. The city remains, he says, the "most Chinese" market for international money, and the most international market for Chinese businesses.

Published Sat, Sep 18, 2021 · 05:50 AM

Raffles Conversation

CHARLES Li has turned efficiency, creativity and connection in finance into an art form. As chief executive of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) between 2010 and 2020, he has been a key player in the city's sustained growth as a global financial centre over the decade, in particular linking it closely with China's rise.

Until the end of last year, when he stepped down from his position, Mr Li had been the most visible, convincing and vocal spokesperson for Hong Kong finance. He describes Hong Kong's status in the world of international finance as a "super converter and connecter". And those words are also an apt description of his own role.

Mr Li's career orbit has coincided with the opening and internationalisation of China's economy, a rapid progression that he helped shape from his position near Hong Kong's power centre. In his office, top dealmakers from China met their counterparts from the rest of the world.