HONG KONG - Hong Kong's financial system has proven its resilience during the social unrest and the pandemic, Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said Wednesday at an online forum.

Hong Kong has unrivaled connectivity with the mainland's financial markets and offers direct two-way access through stock and bond connect programs, as well as the future wealth management connect program, Lam said when speaking at a webinar attended by more than 500 participants from the Singaporean business community.

Lam encouraged Singaporean enterprises to consider listing in Hong Kong and to set up a presence here to tap the opportunities in the financial sector including those in green finance.

With the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong and improvements to the electoral system, stability has been restored in Hong Kong society and the legitimate rights and freedoms of the people and businesses are safeguarded, she said.

The unparalleled strengths of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" make it an ideal gateway for Singaporean businesses to tap into the opportunities in the mainland markets, Lam said.

The webinar is part of the efforts of the HKSAR government in reaching out directly to overseas business communities and the chief executive has attended such events with the European Union, Japanese and New Zealand communities in recent months.