To mark the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong's independence from Britain, an investments organisation has decided to show speculators what returns people could have earned in the far east since 1997.

According to figures from financial services provider Fidelity International, an investor who bought into the Hong Kong stock market a decade ago would have seen their investments grow by 33.1 per cent.

However, this growth figure is eclipsed by both South Korea (235 per cent) and Singapore (85).

Meanwhile, investments in Thailand (12 per cent) and Malaysia (six per cent) would also have increased over the decade.

Commenting on the figures, Allan Liu, manager of Fidelity South East Asia Fund, said that the investments prospects for the region are stronger now that it appears to have overcome the 1997 economic collapse.

Generally, the region has emerged stronger from the crisis of a decade ago and while we may experience some short-term corrections in the markets, the long-term picture for the region remains positive, he said.

Last year, the Thai stock market experienced a temporary valuation drop after it emerged that then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had been overthrown in a peaceful military coup.