THE BOTTOM LINEA cut in levies may not be the unequivocal boon for the city’s financial sectorPremium office vacancy rates in the Central Business District in Hong Kong are at their lowest since 2023, while rents rose by 6 per cent in the first half of 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS[HONG KONG] The competitiveness of Hong Kong as a financial centre is about to be tested. The low-tax haven has two opposing forces that promise to transform its US$5.4 trillion asset-management industry, which overtook Switzerland as the world’s largest cross-border wealth hub in 2025. The city is widely expected to approve a landmark tax reform designed to attract overseas asset managers.