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Baidu share slide wipes $2.4 billion off market value amid speculation over Xi meeting

The Hong Kong shares of Baidu plunged on Monday, wiping $2.4 billion off its market value, after the founder of the Chinese search engine giant was not spotted at a rare meeting between President Xi Jinping and corporate leaders. Xi hosted a symposium in Beijing with the country's top tycoons, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Huawei's Ren Zhengfei, although two sources told Reuters there was no sign of Baidu's founder, Robin Li, attending. Baidu did not respond to a request for comment.

Consensus building: crypto conference arrives in Hong Kong in test for city and CoinDesk

The arrival of one of the biggest Web3 industry events in Hong Kong is testing the city's resolve in becoming a virtual asset hub, while the organisers look to expand their footprint in Asia. Consensus Hong Kong, a three-day cryptocurrency- and blockchain-focused event that kicks off on Tuesday, is leaning heavily into the city's reputation as a traditional financial hub. "Naturally, we know our strength, and that is capital markets," said King Leung, global head of financial services, fintech a

HK comments leave the door open to use of cryptocurrencies as proof of wealth

The Hong Kong government has responded for the first time to questions about the use of cryptocurrencies as proof of wealth for an immigration scheme after a local accountant talked publicly about two cases that had accepted the digital assets. Clement Siu, a Hong Kong-based certified public accountant, told media he had handled two cases where bitcoin and ether were used as proof of clients' assets. Cryptocurriences are not approved assets for direct investment under the immigration scheme, but Siu's cases suggested they can be used as proof of a potential immigrant's wealth, underscoring their growing recognition as a mainstream asset.