Hong Kong has been urged to extend its stock trading hours to maintain its status as an international financial hub, as competitors move towards near 24-hour operations to capture global liquidity.

“In the past, Hong Kong, London and New York complemented each other to cover the global call. But nowadays, the London Stock Exchange and also the New York Stock Exchange are exploring 24-hour trading,” he said.

“For the Hong Kong stock exchange, I think we also need to think about whether we need to extend our trading hours to maintain our global competitiveness and also increase our transactions.”

The stock market, operated by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), currently trades for 5½ hours on weekdays, from 9.30am to 4pm, with a one-hour lunch break. That compares with four hours of trading in Shanghai and Shenzhen, five hours in Tokyo, 6½ hours in Toronto, 8½ hours in London and 14 hours in Frankfurt.

Shui also suggested lowering the 500,000 yuan (US$72,500) entry requirement for mainland Chinese investors under the cross-border Stock Connect scheme to attract more capital.