By Julie Zhu, Selena Li and Kane Wu

HONG KONG (Reuters) -At least two dozen Chinese companies have confidentially filed for listing in Hong Kong this year and more are preparing to do so, two industry sources said, following a new rule permitting private filings at a time of heightened market volatility.

The Hong Kong exchange’s rule for U.S.-style confidential filings, which allows certain companies to keep their business plans and financials under wraps in the initial stages of their stock market debut process, was implemented in May.

Chinese companies, including autonomous driving firm Zelos Tech and artificial intelligence (AI) startup MiniMax, have filed confidentially in recent months to get themselves listed in the city, according to separate sources.

Most filings followed the l

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