(MENAFN- JCN NewsWire) Asian financial Forum returns as Region's First Major International Financial Assembly in 2025
- Bringing together scholars, financial officials and business leaders for discussions on the theme 'Powering the Next Growth Engine'
- Themed“ Powering the Next Growth Engine”,
the
18th Asian Financial Forum 2025 (AFF) , will be the region's first major international financial and business event of the year.
- Heavyweight speakers include
Prof Justin Lin Yifu ,
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank (2008-2012);
Prof Stuart Russell , Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Council on AI;
Dr Kai-Fu Lee , Chairman of Sinovation Ventures; and
J oe Tsai , Chairman of the Alibaba Group.
- The event brings together scholars, financial officials and business leaders from Mainland China, ASEAN, the Middle East, Europe and the United States to share invaluable insights.
HONG KONG, Dec 17, 2024 - (ACN Newswire)
– The 18th
Asian Financial Forum 2025
(AFF), co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 13 and 14 January (Monday and Tuesday). Themed
“Powering the Next Growth Engine”,
AFF will be the first major financial and business event in the region in the new year, bringing together more than 100 global policymakers, business leaders, financial experts and investors, entrepreneurs, tech giants and economists to share their views on issues related to political leadership, geopolitical tensions, monetary policy shifts, macroeconomic challenges and more. These industry heavyweights will discuss the latest developments in financial markets and investment opportunities and explore how Hong Kong can leverage its strengths as an international financial centre to seek breakthroughs in a period of change.
Harnessing Hong Kong's unique advantages to demonstrate financial excellence
Launched in 2007, the AFF has become a flagship financial event for Hong Kong and the broader region, showcasing the city's status as an international financial centre and its role as a connector in spearheading regional financial activities. Against the backdrop of a constantly shifting global economic landscape, Hong Kong has been leveraging its unique geographical position, professional services and global perspective to continue fostering collaboration and ensuring mutual success between Asia and the world.
Luanne Lim ,
Chairperson of the AFF Steering Committee and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, of HSBC , said:“The geopolitical and economic landscape of 2025 is set to be fraught with challenges, underscoring the importance of international collaboration. The Forum adopts the theme 'Powering the Next Growth Engine', bringing together influential speakers and thought leaders to share insights, dissect the evolving global landscape and spotlight emerging investment opportunities. Key areas of focus include the growth potential of emerging markets such as Mainland China, ASEAN and the Middle East, as well as advancements in sectors like artificial intelligence, fintech, sustainability, philanthropy and family offices. The Forum continues to provide a premier platform for renowned global investors and fundraisers to collaborate and ignite new engines for growth with its strong international influence and diverse perspectives.”
Impactful sessions spotlight global issues
The Forum will feature a distinguished line-up of speakers, with a two-day programme featuring various panels and workshops, including plenary sessions, policy dialogues, keynote luncheons, breakfast panels and fireside chats, as well as thematic workshops focusing on development and innovation across different industries. It will continue to stage well-received sessions such as
Global Economic Outlook ,
China Opportunities
and
CIO Insights .
Global Economic Outlook
will analyse international economic trends and provide insights into business opportunities and wealth accumulation in emerging industries and regions in 2025.
China Opportunities
will focus on examining the investment outlook in Mainland China under the acceleration of technological innovation and its impact on global businesses.
CIO Insights
will explore new opportunities for cross-regional cooperation from macroeconomic and asset allocation perspectives, offering participants insights and strategies that can help realise long-term growth.
Financial pioneers share insights on future economy
One of the keynote speakers at AFF will be
Prof Justin Lin Yifu , a globally renowned economist and Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank (2008-2012).
Prof Lin
will deliver an in-depth analysis of the shifting global economic landscape and the impact on Mainland China and international markets, exploring strategies for achieving stable growth and driving rapid economic development amid a complex international environment.
The Forum will also bring together scholars, financial officials and business leaders from the mainland, ASEAN, the Middle East, Europe and the United States to shed light on a range of key topics, including macroeconomics, China opportunities, investment prospects, artificial intelligence (AI) and fintech as well as sustainability.
As the world's second largest economy, the mainland's economic and industrial development plays a significant role in driving global economic growth. Heavyweight speakers include
Dr Fred Hu , Founder and Chairman of Primavera Capital Group;
Jin Liqun , President and Chair of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank;
Li Yimei , Chief Executive Officer of China Asset Management, and
Joe Tsai , Chairman of Alibaba Group, will take the stage at AFF to share their views.
Emerging markets such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East will also be spotlighted. Speakers from ASEAN will include
Satvinder Singh , Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community of ASEAN while a new session will highlight the opportunities in financial cooperation and investment between the Middle East and Hong Kong, featuring speakers from the two places.
A stellar line-up of speakers and company representatives from Europe and the US will offer new impetus at various panel discussions. Featured speakers include
Edward Dolman , Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Phillips Auctioneers;
J
Christopher Donahue , President & Chief Executive Officer of Federated Hermes, Inc;
Antoine Gosset-Grainville , Chairman of the Board of Directors of AXA;
Dr Hou Yang , Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Greater China Region and Global Senior Vice President of Microsoft;
Philip Lane , Chief Economist and Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank;
Vincent Mortier , Group Chief Investment Officer of Amundi; and
Dr Olli Rehn , Governor and Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Finland.
AI and fintech are having a profound impact as they become more broadly adopted in the financial services sector.
Prof Stuart Russell , Co-chair of the World Economic Forum Council on AI;
Dr Kai-Fu Lee , Chairman of Sinovation Ventures and
Ken Wong , Executive Vice President of Lenovo and President of Lenovo Solutions & Services Group, will address the latest industry developments and prospects at the AFF.
Prof Russell , Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley and Co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Council on AI and the OECD's Expert Group on AI Futures, will explore the prospects of AI becoming a new engine for global economic growth.
Sustainable development is another key topic at the AFF. In different sessions of the Forum,
Sue Lloyd , Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB);
Martin Neubert , Partner and Group Chief Investment Officer of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and
Jiadi Yu , Chief Investment Officer of International Finance Corporation (IFC), will share views on how the adoption of the ISSB will contribute to market confidence in Hong Kong's capital markets.
Diverse exhibition zones create opportunities, innovative technologies drive growth
The
Fintech Showcase ,
InnoVenture Salon ,
FintechHK Start-up Salon
and
Global Investment Zone
will be assembled at the AFF to help fintech companies, start-ups and international investment agencies from around the world to connect businesses, showcase the latest technological innovations and promote collaboration.
In addition to offering pitching and startup advisory sessions, the
InnoVenture Salon
features an exhibition of innovative technologies across various fields such as regtech, deep tech, green tech, health tech and food tech and agri-tech. This capacity-building support will connect entrepreneurs with potential clients, users and investors from different regions and industries, helping businesses refine their strategies, expand operations and thrive in the global market. Additionally,
AFF Deal-making , a unique deal-sourcing and matching session, will build on the success of previous years to connect sources of funds and deals from around the world through one-on-one meetings.
AFF – Hong Kong's major annual financial event
International large-scale events play a strategically important role for Hong Kong. As the first major financial event of the year, the AFF is designed to provide industry professionals with the latest insights and help them explore new opportunities. Early bird registration is now open for participants. The AFF is collaborating with various organisations to provide special travel, dining and shopping discounts and privileges for overseas participants, encouraging them to make the most of their stay and experience the vitality of Hong Kong. More details regarding the content, speaker lineup and media registration arrangements for the AFF will be announced at a press conference on 7 January 2025.
Websites
- Asian Financial Forum:
-
Programme:
- Speaker list:
Members of the media interested in interviewing speakers at the Asian Financial Forum should email ...
or
...
by 8 January 2025.
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