Attracting 3,600+ policymakers and business leaders to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths as an international financial centre
– The 18th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) ended successfully today, drawing 3,600+ policymakers and business leaders from more than 50 countries and regions to discuss the latest developments in financial markets and investment opportunities
– The event focused on how Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre can be leveraged to navigate and adapt during a period of change, paving the way for more high-profile conferences and exhibitions in the year ahead
– More than 700 one-on-one AFF Deal-making meetings were held on-site, connecting funds and investment projects from around the world
– On-site polling indicated that generative AI-led innovation (41.6%) and non-AI innovation, including digital infrastructure & healthcare (23%), were seen by most participants as the most critical growth engines in Asia Pacific.
The 18th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully wrapped up today under the theme “Powering the Next Growth Engine”. This year’s forum attracted over 3,600 global financial and business elites from more than 50 countries and regions. The event leveraged Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre to strengthen the international communication platform, foster multilateral cooperation and promote mutually beneficial outcomes. Three high-level Mainland China officials attended the Opening Session of the AFF yesterday, including Zhou Ji, Executive Vice Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Dr Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China; and Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of China.
As the year’s first large-scale international financial and business event in the region, the atmosphere at the AFF was vibrant and charged with a positive energy. The forum showcased emerging perspectives across the diverse sessions, all of which were well-attended and well-received by speakers and audiences alike. Leaders from around the world actively engaged in discussion throughout the two-day event, with more than 130 policymakers, international financial and multilateral organisation representatives, financial institutions, and global corporate leaders joining as speakers.
The speaker at the Keynote Luncheon on the first day of this year’s AFF was Prof Justin Lin Yifu, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank (2008-2012), who delivered an in-depth analysis of the shifting global economic landscape. Prof Lin pointed out: “In terms of purchasing power, China has the largest domestic market in the world. I think China can reach a 4.5 % growth rate on the average annually between 2019 and 2049. Thus China will continue to contribute around 30% of growth to the world every year. It’s good not only for China, but also will be the most important asset of Hong Kong in the coming years.”
Keynote Luncheon today focused on AI: Future Industries and Implications, with Prof Stuart Russell, Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on AI, sharing his insights into the development, application and governance of generative AI. Prof Russell said: “We could build AI systems that are guaranteed to further human interests but we aren’t. Some may worry that the machines that we are building will become conscious and lose control, but competence should actually be the topic that we worry about. As history shows, we cause species to become extinct due to our competence, not our consciousness. We are training them to have human-like objectives, and that is a fundamental mistake. I am hoping that if we design the AI system well enough, they themselves will refuse to contribute to the enfeeblement of the human race.” Another AI expert, Dr Kai-Fu Lee, Chairman of Sinovation Ventures, also addressed the transformative power of AI and its impact on technological advancements in the global business ecosystem during a dialogue session.
In alignment with the HKSAR Government’s initiatives to promote sustainable development in Hong Kong, sustainability emerged as a key focus at the forum. A session yesterday featured experts including Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), who delved into the adoption of financial disclosure standards to enhance confidence in Hong Kong’s capital markets. Today saw more discussions related to sustainable development, including a Breakfast Panel dedicating to transition finance and two more sessions – on sustainable investment and Post-COP29 Implementation: Enhance Climate Ambition and Enable Financing Action – at which Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of China, gave remarks.
This afternoon saw the debut of the Gulf Cooperation Council Chapter, jointly organised by the AFF and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the HKSAR Government, and HE Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, delivered keynote remarks. Financial officials and representatives from Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined industry leaders from Hong Kong to share updates on economic developments in the Gulf region, highlight future investment opportunities, and examine ways to strengthen financial cooperation and investment between the member states of the GCC and Hong Kong.
In addition, pioneers from a range of industries actively participated in sessions such as CIO Insights, Dialogues for Tomorrow and Global Spectrum, focusing on hot topics ranging from fintech and capital markets to female entrepreneurship and philanthropy. One of the heavyweight speakers at this year’s AFF was Joe Tsai, Chairman of the Alibaba Group, who shared his views at a fireside chat moderated by Ronnie Chan, Honorary Chair, Hang Lung Properties Limited on how large companies spur economic development in a session titled Global Spectrum – The Role of Large Companies in Supporting Start-ups and Social Enterprises.
Views on mainland and overseas industries and environmental economies tracked on-site
Real-time polling was conducted during the forum to gauge participants’ views on various topics, such as the global economic outlook and China opportunities. It indicated that generative AI-led innovation (41.6%) and non-AI innovation, including digital infrastructure & healthcare (23%), were seen by participants as the most critical growth engines in the Asia Pacific region. Meanwhile, generative AI (31.4%) and advanced manufacturing (20%) were seen as the most promising growth sectors in Mainland China.
More than 700 one-on-one matching meetings facilitated on-site over two days
This year’s AFF Deal-making, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA), brought together more than 270 investors and over 560 investment projects with more than 700 one-on-one meetings held, covering a wide spectrum of sectors such as fintech, healthtech, deep tech, consumer goods, infrastructure and real estate, environment, energy and environmental technology. The meetings helped to connect funds and investment projects from across the globe.
As always, the AFF featured several exhibition zones, set up with the aim of creating business connections and promoting networking, including the Fintech Showcase, Fintech HK Startup Salon, the InnoVenture Salon, and the Global Investment Zone. These zones featured more than 140 exhibitors including international financial institutions, technology companies, start-ups, investment promotion agencies and sponsors such as AFF Knowledge Partner EY, along with HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Standard Chartered Bank, UBS, Prudential, China International Capital Corporation (CICC) and Huatai International and more.
Three other events ran concurrently with the AFF across the two days. The Hong Kong International Fundraising Roundtable 2025 yesterday convened C-suite leaders from overseas and mainland enterprises with Hong Kong’s financial and professional service providers to address pressing financing and fundraising needs. The Malaysia–Hong Kong Islamic Finance Roundtable, co-organised with Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council, facilitated the development of cross-border financial activities between Hong Kong and Islamic economies represented by Malaysia. Additionally, the Family Office Symposium, co-organised with the Private Wealth Management Association (PWMA), spotlighted Hong Kong’s advantages as a premier family office destination and explored current investment trends.
The Asian Financial Forum was a signature event of 2025 International Financial Week (IFW), which runs from 13 to 17 January and brings together more than 20 partner events to create synergies in the industry. These events cover many topics of global interest to the financial and business community, including private equity, family offices, net zero investing and generative AI, among others. This week of events helps underscore the importance of Hong Kong as an international financial hub.
Websites
– Asian Financial Forum: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en
– Programme: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/programme
– Speaker list: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/speaker
AFF 2025 video footage: AFF 2025 footage
Also read: Kitabisa achieves a 33% boost in Transactions per user and Increase in User-stickiness with CleverTap
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Legal Disclaimer: The Editor provides this news content "as is," without any warranty of any kind. We disclaim all responsibility and liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. For any complaints or copyright concerns regarding this article, please contact the author mentioned above.
