On December 29th, the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Paul Chan, posted on his blog that in 2024, Hong Kong will focus on economic development and achieve a stable and forward trend. The annual economic growth is expected to be 2.5%, the unemployment rate will remain at a relatively low level of about 3.1%, inflation will be moderate, and citizens' income will record a real increase. He took stock of Hong Kong's economic development in 2024 from various aspects: the Hong Kong stock market has risen by about 18% this year, and the Hang Seng Index has rebounded to the level of 20000 points; The total assets of the asset and wealth management industry exceeded 4 trillion US dollars, and the net inflow of funds increased by 3.4 times last year; The average monthly transaction volume of the real estate market in the first 11 months of this year was about 4450, a year-on-year increase of 22%. In terms of gathering popularity and wealth, Chen Maobo introduced that the total number of companies from mainland China and overseas stationed in Hong Kong this year is close to 10000, and the number of start-ups is close to 4700, each increasing by 10% year-on-year, both reaching a new high; In the past two years, various talent programs have received about 410000 applications, and over 260000 have been approved, of which about 170000 have already come to Hong Kong; This year, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has exceeded 44 million, with an annual increase of over 30%. Looking ahead to 2025, Chan Mo po stated that Hong Kong's economy has a solid foundation and strong market resilience, and is exploring new patterns and steadily moving forward in the changing situation. In the next year, Hong Kong will better leverage its unique advantages in internationalization, strengthen its "internal and external connections", further enhance the roles and functions of "super contacts" and "super value-added people", and work together with other cities in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and even other provinces and cities in mainland China to "go global" and explore business opportunities, exerting greater synergy. Chen Maobo also listed a number of work priorities, including strengthening systematic investment in Hong Kong's innovation and technology, accelerating the cultivation of new quality productivity according to local conditions, consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's position as an international financial, trade and shipping center with a more comprehensive strategy, and striving to build an international high-end talent gathering highland. We will continue to reform and innovate, seize opportunities, accelerate integration into the overall development of the country, proactively align with national development strategies, and enable Hong Kong's economy, society, and people's livelihoods to achieve more brilliant development Chen Maobo said. (New Society)