Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury K C Chan said Friday that markets in Asia and China are relatively healthier compared with those in the United States and Europe.

Chan told media that the Hong Kong government was closely monitoring the market fluctuations in the United States and Europe. He believes market fluctuations in the United States and Europe were due to worries of recession and debt-settlement issues.

On the hacking of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited's news website, Chan said the listed companies' information should be distributed widely and fairly for the market's smooth function.

This incident had highlighted the importance of online security, he said, and he has urged the parties concerned to devote more attention to the matter.

HKExnews website was under sustained attack on Wednesday and Thursday. HKEx adopted a half-day suspension policy Wednesday afternoon for issuers announcing price-sensitive information on the website. The attacks on Thursday were only on its Internet news website. Derivatives and clearing systems were not affected.