Paul Chan: Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to establish a Gold Central Clearing System, aiming to conduct a trial run within the year

BlockBeats News, January 18th, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Paul Chan Mo-po, published a blog post titled "Seizing Development Opportunities in a Complex International Environment," in which he pointed out: The role of gold as a central bank reserve, investment product, and risk hedging tool has been further strengthened. The price of gold has cumulatively risen by over 60% in 2025, marking the largest increase since 1979. By the third quarter of last year, the total global gold demand value saw a 44% year-on-year increase to reach $146 billion. The Hong Kong gold spot trading market has become significantly more active, with the average daily trading volume on the Hong Kong Gold Exchange rising by over two times year-on-year as of November last year, reaching HK$2.9 billion. Hong Kong is actively promoting the establishment of a gold central clearing system as a critical financial infrastructure to enhance the reliability and efficiency of gold trading and physical delivery in Hong Kong, reduce transaction costs, and increase liquidity. The goal is to launch a pilot run this year and invite the Shanghai Gold Exchange to participate.