Given his first Chelsea start in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Juventus, the 35-year-old shared attacking duties in the first half with João Pedro – reunited after their time together at Brighton – before Edon Zhegrova's second-half strike settled the contest at the Kai Tak Stadium.
Speaking shortly after full-time, Welbeck said the exposure to unfamiliar conditions and a strong opponent would stand Chelsea in good stead.
"It's very important to play these types of games against strong opponents in new surroundings," he said. "We're going into a tough and relentless Premier League season, so it's good to have these games to get ourselves ready.
"It was great to be out on the pitch but unfortunately, we couldn't get the win."
Chelsea have now lost back-to-back pre-season fixtures, having also been beaten by Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the tour, but Welbeck was keen to focus on the reception the squad received from supporters in the city.
"Even so, we've had an amazing time in Hong Kong, and the support has been incredible. We know how passionate these fans are and it's important to feel that support," he said. "Obviously we get a lot of support from abroad, so it's nice to be with fans in person when we can and to give them the opportunity to see us play live. We always appreciate that support, so it's really nice to play in front of the spectators and hopefully we can get a win for them the next time we are in Hong Kong."
Welbeck's appearance was one of three debuts for Xabi Alonso's side in the game, along with academy product Geovany Quenda and goalkeeper Mike Penders, while Mykhailo Mudryk also featured for the first time since November 2024 following the resolution of his doping case.
Welbeck joined Chelsea as a free agent this summer after his contract at Brighton expired, bringing significant Premier League experience to Alonso's forward line as he begins a new chapter of his career at Stamford Bridge, having previously come through the youth ranks at Manchester United before spells at Arsenal and Watford preceded his six years on the south coast.