Policymakers, Business Leaders Explore Innovation & Technology
in New Economy
HONG KONG, Jan 15, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) -
Co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the
11th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) opened today and will run for two
days (15-16 January) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Centre (HKCEC). Under the theme "Steering Growth and Pioneering
Innovation: Asia and Beyond," this year's AFF features more than a
hundred financial policymakers, business leaders and heavyweight
investors, to examine the latest economic trends and offer insights
for investment planning in the coming year. The speakers will also
examine a series of topics pertinent to innovation and technology
and will identify opportunities presented by the new economy.
- Vincent HS Lo: Investment and Innovation is the key for
growth
Vincent HS Lo, Chairman of the HKTDC, and Carrie Lam, Chief
Executive of the HKSAR, officiated at the opening ceremony. In his
welcome remarks, Mr Lo said: "Driven by synchronised growth across
trade, investment and industry, the markets have been on a bull run
for a long stretch. Added to this had been low inflation and
monetary policies that have helped businesses, markets and
investors alike. Advances in technology have also brought fresh
impetus to growth. I believe the key to sustaining the momentum for
growth lies in investment and innovation."
- Driving global growth with innovation
On the first day of AFF, David Lipton, First Deputy Managing
Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), delivered a
keynote speech on "Asian Economic Outlook," followed by the plenary
session "Steering Growth and Pioneering Innovation: Asia and
Beyond," chaired by James Lau, Secretary for Financial Services and
the Treasury of the HKSAR Government. Panel speakers: Jiang Yang,
Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission;
Takehiko Nakao, President of the Asian Development Bank; Pierre
Gramegna, Finance Minister of Luxembourg; and Kelly O'Dwyer,
Minister for Revenue and Financial Services of Australia; offered
insights on how Asia can leverage innovation to maintain growth and
drive the global economy.
As the world's second-largest economy, China's financial and
economic policies hold sway over the global economy, which was the
theme of this year's Policy Dialogue "Impact of China Policies on
Global Economic Development." Chaired by Norman Chan, Chief
Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the session featured
speakers David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF;
Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank;
Hu Huaibang, Chairman of the China Development Bank; Andreas
Dombret, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Bundesbank and
Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive of HSBC Holdings plc.
Panellists offered their views on China's economic and financial
policies and how they impact the global economy and financial
markets.
- Former US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on the global and US
economy
Among the highlights of this year's AFF is the keynote luncheon
speech by former US Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J Lew. With the
US economy performing strongly and the trade policies of the
current US administration stirring protectionism concerns, Mr Lew
offered his views on the global and US economic outlook. In
addition to examining US trade policies and their impact on global
trade, Mr Lew touched on issues related to his term as Treasury
chief, including the debt ceiling, tax reforms and regulatory
policies. Mr Lew addressed other topical issues during a dialogue
session in the afternoon.
- Analysing the outlook of the global and mainland economy and
examining the future of financial regulations
In a panel discussion on the global economy, Inga Beale, CEO of
Lloyd's; Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive of HSBC Holdings
plc; and Tu Guangshao, Vice Chairman & President of China
Investment Corporation, discussed the opportunities and challenges
in the current global economic environment from the Chinese and
European perspectives.
In another panel discussion, Raymund Chao, Asia Pacific and Greater
China Chairman of PwC, joined star investors, Fang Fenglei, founder
and Chairman of Hopu Investment Management Co, Neil Shen, Founding
and Managing Partner of Sequoia China, and Zhang Yichen, Chairman
and CEO, CITIC Capital Holdings Limited to explore "China
Opportunities" offered by various national strategies in different
industries.
Technology and innovation are bringing about revolutionary changes
to the market, while posing new regulatory challenges. During the
afternoon plenary session, Steven Maijoor, Chair of the European
Securities and Markets Authority, Sergey Shvetsov, First Deputy
Governor of the Bank of Russia; Ashley Ian Alder, CEO of Hong
Kong's Securities and Futures Commission, Peter Kazimir, Minister
of Finance of Slovak Republic and Robert San Pe, Senior Adviser On
Legal Affairs To H. E. of The State Counsellor of Myanmar, Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, discussed how regulators can strike a balance between
facilitating market innovation and protecting investors and
consumers in these fast-changing times.
- Thematic workshops uncover business opportunities in various
domains
The AFF continues tomorrow Tuesday with a Breakfast Panel,
sponsored by the Financial Services Development Council, Hong Kong,
which will examine the links between Hong Kong and the Chinese
mainland as well as with global markets. Christine Tsai, Founding
Partner and CEO of 500 Startups, will hold a Fireside Chat session
on technology and entrepreneurship.
In addition, with innovation and technology being the prioritised
components of this year's AFF, there will be several InnoTalks
workshops on such topics as FinTech, innovations in banking and big
data. At a workshop co-organised by the HKTDC and the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), speakers will examine how technological
developments will influence future labour demand and foster a new
generation of entrepreneurs. Other workshops will discuss the Belt
and Road Initiative, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, and
investment strategies of private investors.
Tomorrow's keynote luncheon will feature Professor Daniela Rus,
Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory (CSAIL) and Professor of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She
will speak about the latest developments in artificial intelligence
and robotics and the impact these technologies may have on the
finance and business industries.
Wrapping up this year's AFF, a keynote address by FinTech opinion
leader JP Nicols, who is the Managing Director of FinTech Forge and
Chairman of NextMoney.org, will offer insights on financial
innovation and technology development. Mr Nicols will also discuss
how financial enterprises and businesses can leverage innovation to
succeed and to stay ahead in the rapidly changing global
market.
- Fostering cooperation and start-up development
The HKTDC has again joined forces with the Hong Kong Venture
Capital and Private Equity Association to co-organise the AFF Deal
Flow Matchmaking Session. The event tomorrow will provide
pre-arranged one-to-one deal-sourcing and matchmaking meetings for
project owners and investors. More than 350 investment projects
have been submitted, covering digital technology, FinTech,
environment and energy, healthcare technology and infrastructure
and real estate services.
The new InnoVenture Salon will be held tomorrow, connecting
start-ups with potential investors and partners. The programme
includes a Start-up Showcase, Investors Meet-up, Start-up Project
Presentations, as well as Mentor Hours, where seasoned investors
and experts will offer practical advice on setting up and
operation, financing, marketing strategies for the Chinese and
Asian markets, and pitching. Participating investors and mentors
include the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Beyond Ventures, Cocoon
Ignite Ventures, Hong Kong X-Tech Startup, MindWorks Ventures, Nest
Ventures, VC Growth Partners and Vectr Ventures.
For the third consecutive year, PwC is AFF's official Knowledge
Partner. The company has set up a PwC Knowledge Cafe and a
satellite booth at AFF to showcase a variety of digital
experiences. They include using the latest interactive
object-recognition projection to present an ideal smart city. Using
smart glasses, visitors can learn about PwC's views on artificial
intelligence, automation technologies, digital leadership and
FinTech in a mixed-reality environment. Visitors can also go on a
virtual tour of a showroom to pick out their dream car. In
addition, interactive tools are available at the booth for visitors
to understand how big data can help companies stay competitive amid
constantly changing markets.
Websites:
Asian Financial Forum Website:
http://www.asianfinancialforum.com
International Financial Week Website:
http://www.internationalfinancialweek.com
Photo download: http://bit.ly/2FDBX3P
About HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
(HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for
Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally,
including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong
as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world.
With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international
exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide
companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the
mainland and in international markets, while providing information
via trade publications, research reports and digital channels
including the media room. For more information, please visit:
www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc,
LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council
Source: HKTDC
Contact:
HKTDC
Communications & Public Affairs Department
Billy Ng
Tel: +852 2584 4393
Email: billy.km.ng@hktdc.org
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
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