Hong Kong retained third place in the 40th Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 40), scoring 756 points, one point behind London and five behind leading New York. Released jointly by the Z/Yen Group and the China Development Institute (Shenzhen) on September 16 in Busan and Shenzhen, the index assessed 117 financial centres. Hong Kong remained the highest-ranked centre in Asia-Pacific and topped the fintech sub-index, while six Asia-Pacific cities placed among the global top 10. Shanghai returned to fifth place, Tokyo rose to sixth and Zurich entered the top 10. The report and Hong Kong government statement highlighted the city’s strength in financial-sector development, investment management, insurance and financing, alongside its policies supporting fintech, stablecoins (cryptocurrencies designed to maintain stable value) and digital assets. Authorities are preparing legislation for licensing virtual-asset trading, custody, advisory and management services, while a five-year economic blueprint and green-finance initiatives outline further development priorities.