When Hong Kong’s financial secretary, Paul Chan, delivered his keynote address during the city’s FinTech Week conference at the end of October, it was seen as both a watershed and somewhat of an awkward moment.
The meeting of blockchain experts, policymakers, and investors was held alongside other large gatherings, including the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit and the Rugby Sevens, ostensibly with the aim of showcasing Hong Kong’s return to normality after stringent social restrictions since the start of the pandemic.
But after testing positive for Covid-19 during a work trip in the Middle East, secretary Chan was unable to attend the gathering in...