The 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), jointly organized by the Hong Kong SAR Government and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully after drawing over 4,000 leaders from governments and business sectors across more than 60 countries and regions. The forum featured over 150 speakers including financial officials, multilateral organization leaders, and representatives from financial institutions and enterprises, marking the first significant financial event in the region this year as it kicked off International Financial Week 2026.
The forum launched the inaugural Global Business Summit to further integrate finance with key industries, driving innovation and economic development while strengthening Hong Kong's role through financial empowerment. Financial Secretary Paul Chan and HKTDC Chairman Prof Frederick Ma delivered welcome remarks at the summit opening, with Prof Ma emphasizing that "financial services help industries and investors maximise their investments and their impact" and noting Hong Kong's unique position as "a superconnector, super value-adder and supercollaborator" under the "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement.
During the forum, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau signed a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Gold Exchange, establishing a high-level cooperative governance framework for Hong Kong's central gold clearing system and exploring opportunities for coordinated development of physical infrastructure. This initiative represents an important step forward in Hong Kong's development as an international gold trading hub, enhancing market connectivity between Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The Global Business Summit featured two major plenary sessions focusing on international expansion strategies. Business Plenary I examined how Chinese mainland enterprises are formulating global expansion strategies amid macroeconomic shifts, with speakers from XPENG, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, LONGi Green Energy, Alibaba Group, and other prominent companies discussing challenges and opportunities in international growth. Business Plenary II explored how international companies can develop new business roadmaps in the Chinese mainland through investment, partnerships and joint ventures, with Mohammed Alardhi of Investcorp noting that "the China-Gulf Cooperation Council corridor is vital" and highlighting significant appetite in the Gulf region to partner with Chinese companies.
A Pledging Ceremony demonstrated the commitment of HKSAR Government, HKTDC and AFF Partners including EY, HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Standard Chartered, UBS, CICC, Huatai Securities, Bank of Communication (Hong Kong) and China CITIC Bank International to assist Chinese mainland enterprises in going global via the Hong Kong platform. The summit also featured discussion sessions covering high-growth sectors including biomedicine and healthcare, green energy, new consumer trends, artificial intelligence and robotics, with companies like Amgen and Merck emphasizing the need for diversified financing channels to accelerate technological translation and commercialisation.
AFF conducted real-time polling across multiple sessions, revealing that more than 70% of attendees were neutral to optimistic about the global economic outlook for this year, while 51.2% believed priority should be given to developing artificial intelligence and AI-driven applications, followed by energy transition and sustainable development (20.3%). The forum's deal-making sessions attracted over 280 investors and 600 investment projects, resulting in more than 800 one-on-one meetings that successfully connected global capital with investment opportunities, with matching services continuing online through January 29.
Project Investment Sessions highlighted strategically essential development initiatives in Hong Kong including the Northern Metropolis, SKYTOPIA Airport City development, and the Hong Kong–Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, offering participants deeper insights into Hong Kong's long-term plans for regional connectivity and innovation-driven development. The forum also featured four key thematic zones - the FutureGreen Showcase, FintechHK Start-up Salon, InnoVenture Salon and Global Investment Zone - bringing together approximately 150 exhibitors showcasing solutions in green finance, technology, and sustainable development.
International Financial Week 2026 officially commenced on January 26, featuring 14 industry events spanning globally watched financial and business topics including ASEAN opportunities, digital finance, green finance, family offices, private equity and alternative investments. These events collectively underscore Hong Kong's unique role as the region's most comprehensive and diversified international financial centre, with detailed information available at https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/.
