Hong Kong maintained third place globally and continued to hold the top position in the Asia-Pacific region in a financial centers index published Thursday by British and Chinese think tanks.

The Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) 37 Report, released by British think tank Z/Yen Group and the China Development Institute in Shenzhen, assessed a total of 119 financial centers around the world.

According to the report, Hong Kong's overall rating increased by 11 points to 760, slightly closing the gap in rating with first place.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said that the report fully recognized Hong Kong's leading status and strengths as an international financial center. Hong Kong's rankings in the areas of "human capital," "infrastructure," and "financial sector development" rose to second in the world, while rankings in "business environment" and "reputational and general" rose to third globally.

Hong Kong also ranked among the top in various financial industry sectors. Among these, Hong Kong ranked first globally in "investment management," "insurance" and "finance," and ranked third globally in "banking." In addition, the report assessed the financial centers' fintech offering, and Hong Kong's ranking leapt further by five places to fourth in the world.

The spokesperson said that with the staunch support of the country, Hong Kong will continue to leverage the advantages under "one country, two systems," actively integrate into national development, and deepen international exchanges and cooperation, with a view to fulfilling its roles as a "super-connector" and a "super value-adder."

The GFCI Report is released in March and September every year since 2007.