Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), stated at the Asia-Pacific Financial Forum on Thursday that Hong Kong's financial system should enhance innovation to address the "pain points" faced by the real economy. He emphasized that true financial innovation lies in transforming traditional financial tools into efficient solutions and ensuring they bring tangible value to the real economy. Yue noted Hong Kong's regional leadership in sustainable and resilient finance, mentioning the nearly $2 trillion investment gap required for the Greater Bay Area to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. He also highlighted the HKMA's Commercial Data Interchange project, which aims to help banks use alternative data sources for credit assessment by integrating public and private data. Yue pledged to prioritize improving access to trade finance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and advocated for stronger public-private sector cooperation in the Greater Bay Area, mainland China, and the Asia-Pacific region.