Stock Connect has celebrated its sixth anniversary with northbound trading exceeding 36.9 trillion yuan ($5.63 trillion), according to a release by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, the first mutual market access program connecting Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland equity market, marked its sixth anniversary on Tuesday.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which was launched on Dec 5, 2016, connects the Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock markets.

With the steady recovery of the Chinese economy, the Stock Connect has continued to hit fresh trading records in 2020, proving its relevance and popularity with investors.

Hong Kong and international investors held a total of 2.1 trillion yuan worth of Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange A-shares as of Nov 10, compared with 86.5 billion at the end of 2014, shortly after the launch of Stock Connect.

As of Nov 10, the total turnover of northbound trading reached 36.9 trillion yuan, with a net inflow of 1.12 trillion yuan, showing confidence in Chinese markets.

At the same time, about HK$13.7 trillion was traded on the southbound leg, with a net inflow of HK$1.62 trillion.

The record high daily trade value for northbound trading was set on July 7, reaching 191.16 billion yuan; while the daily trade value of southbound trading reached a new record high of HK$60.17 billion on July 6.

Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect was launched on Nov 17, 2014, and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect was launched two years later, giving the Chinese mainland and international investors direct access to each other's markets from their home market for the very first time.