The compiler of Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is easing standards for inclusion in the financial hub’s premier equities benchmark, opening the door for Chinese tech heavyweights such as Alibaba.

Hang Seng Bank’s index subsidiary announced after the close of trading on Monday that it would for the first time allow secondary listings and stocks with unequal voting rights — features of China’s tech sector — to be added to the Hang Seng benchmark. The index is tracked by almost $30bn in global exchange traded funds and local pension funds. The changes will come into effect following a planned review in August.

But while the provider noted “more than 90 per cent” of market participants favoured the move, it also capped individual weightings for such stocks at 5 per cent, reflecting governance concerns.