Chan unveiled his vision in a keynote speech at a ceremony on Wednesday that marked the 23rd anniversary of HKEX as a listed company.
"As the world moves towards a green and low-carbon transition, there is a lot more that Hong Kong can do to contribute," Chan said at the ceremony, which was attended by hundreds of guests including stockbrokers and representatives of listed companies.
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"We have set our sights on becoming the leading green technology and green finance centre of the world.
"We are pleased to note that HKEX is an enthusiastic contributor to green and ESG [environmental, social, and governance] development, including the launch of [a voluntary carbon-trading platform] as well as setting out proposals to enhance climate-related disclosures."
Chan mentioned the launch next Monday of the new Hong Kong dollar and yuan dual-counter trading service that will allow investors to trade in either of the two currencies in 24 companies. He described this as an important milestone for the internationalisation of the yuan and was confident there would be no hitches.
"There will be no Monday morning blues next week, I can assure you," Chan said. "Next, we will press ahead with the inclusion of yuan-denominated securities under Southbound Connect scheme, so that mainland investors can trade Hong Kong shares using onshore yuan funds."
The ceremony was the first time HKEX has marked its anniversary with an in-person event since 2018, before the social unrest in Hong Kong in 2019 and then the Covid-19 pandemic that prevented the celebration for four years.
HKEX, which runs Asia's third-largest stock market, will officially mark 23 years as a listed firm on June 27. Chan was the guest of honour at the ceremony on Wednesday, which was hosted by the stock exchange operator's CEO Nicolas Aguzin and its chairwoman Laura Cha Shih May-lung.
Chan, Aguzin and Cha sounded the ceremonial gong in Connect Hall, which functioned as the exchange's trading hall before 2017.
Besides green finance and yuan products, Aguzin said HKEX wants to attract more international firms to list and more global investors to trade in Hong Kong. That is why he and Cha have visited the Middle East numerous times this year.
"Around the Middle East, there is a tremendous amount of savings. The sovereign wealth fund system there has US$4 trillion, while they have only invested about 1 to 2 per cent in Hong Kong, which is tiny," Aguzin said.
"China represents 18 per cent of the world's GDP, they should have 10 to 20 per cent of their funds invested in Chinese companies channeled through Hong Kong. We're talking about US$1 trillion, which is such a great opportunity.
"That's why we are spending so much time in the Middle East. There are also some great companies in the region that may want to potentially look for funding sources in this part of the world."
HKEX has come a long way since its formation in March 2000 via the merger of the stock exchange, the futures exchange and three clearing houses.
It was listed in Hong Kong on June 27, 2000, at HK$3.88 a share. As of Wednesday's market close, its stock stood at HK$313.20. A purchase of 1,000 shares for HK$3,880 (US$500) on the day of its listing would be worth HK$313,200 now.
The number of companies listed on the exchange that HKEX runs has risen as well, from 790 at the time of the listing to the current 2,600, while the total market capitalisation has risen sevenfold to HK$32.79 trillion as of Wednesday.
The exchange's average daily market turnover has risen nine-fold in the 23 years to HK$118.9 billion through the first five months of this year, while average daily derivatives trading has increased 37 times to 1.4 million contracts as of May.
HKEX's business has diversified over the years. The bourse operator relied heavily on stock trading in 2000, but now its derivatives products are also heavily traded. It has also expanded overseas by acquiring the London Metal Exchange in 2012.
The stock market was dominated by conglomerates and finance companies in 2000, with the two sectors representing a combined 71 per cent of the market. Today they account for only 44.5 per cent, according to HKEX data.
Information technology and healthcare, which were not on the list in 2000, now represent a combined 30 per cent of the market.
Hong Kong's main board was the top venue for initial public offerings worldwide seven times over the past 14 years, thanks in part to listing reforms introduced in April 2018.
The reforms allowed companies with multiple classes of voting rights, as well as biotechnology companies without revenue, to list in Hong Kong, which has attracted many technology firms and healthcare companies.
To be exact, the reforms opened the door for 86 companies to list in the city through March this year. These companies raised more than HK$580 billion, representing more than 40 per cent of the total funds raised through listings in Hong Kong during the period, according to Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu.
Among them were 56 pre-revenue or pre-profit biotechnology companies, which raised HK$116 billion and made Hong Kong the second-largest listing centre globally for such firms, behind Nasdaq.
