| Reminder |
(Changes are highlighted in yellow)
To assignment editors:
19th Asian Financial Forum press conference takes place tomorrow
Kicking off the region’s first major international financial event of the year to analyse global trends
18 January 2026 － The 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on Monday, 26 and Tuesday, 27 January 2026. This year’s AFF introduces a brand-new tagline, “Finance Empowering Business”, themed “Co-creating New Horizons amid an Evolving Landscape”, has invited more than a hundred global political and business leaders, investment experts, and financial heavyweights to explore hot topics such as the global economic outlook, trade finance and supply chain management, and gold and precious metals trading, to stimulate broad cooperation and reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre.
This year's forum features a distinguished lineup of speakers each analysing the future direction of fiscal and monetary policies across different regions and exploring opportunities for multilateral cooperation. Among the distinguished speakers are Dr José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of Portugal, Chairman of Goldman Sachs International Advisory Committee; Paul Polman, Business Leader, Investor, Philanthropist; Mohammed Mahfoodh Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp Holdings BSC(c); Dr Varun Sethi, Chief Executive Officer of Clinigen; Zou Jiayi, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Burkhard Balz, Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank; and Rhee Changyong, Governor of the Bank of Korea.
On the following day, the HKSAR Government’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the HKTDC, and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises will co-organise the inaugural Global Business Summit. This summit will convene corporate leaders and investors from fields such as artificial intelligence and technology, new consumption, biomedicine and healthcare, and new energy to explore industry trends and opportunities, fostering deeper collaboration between finance and industry. The summit will also focus on exploring the opportunities and prospects for Chinese Mainland enterprises expanding globally and for international enterprises entering the Chinese market.
This year's forum features an exhibition with four key zones, including FintechHK Start-up Salon, InnoVenture Salon, Global Investment Zone, and, new in 2026, FutureGreen Showcase, and will collectively host over 140 exhibitors. As for the AFF Deal-making, one-to-one meetings will cover ten key industries during the forum. The session will also continue with two-day online networking and matching, providing investors and project owners with more time to discuss projects and achieve substantive cooperation
The HKTDC will hold a press conference tomorrow, featuring Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, HKSAR Government; Maggie Ng, Asian Financial Forum Steering Committee Chairperson and HSBC Hong Kong CEO; Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director, HKTDC; and Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and Greater China Regional Managing Partner. Details about the speaker lineup and highlights for this year’s forum will be announced during this event.
We cordially invite you or your representatives to attend the press conference. Details are as follows:
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Date: |
Monday, 19 January 2026 |
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Time: |
10:00 to 11:00 AM |
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Venue: |
Meeting Rooms S226-S227, HKCEC |
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Speakers: |
Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, HKSAR Government |
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Language: |
Cantonese (questions in Putonghua or English are welcome) |
Media representatives who would like to interview speakers at the forum should submit interview requests to tleung@yuantung.com.hk or lsong@yuantung.com.hk by 21 January 2026.
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Finance Officials |
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Business Leaders and Financial Experts |
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Representatives from the fields of technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics |
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Representatives from the biomedical and healthcare sectors |
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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/speakers
Media enquiries
Yuan Tung Financial Relations
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Lousie Song |
Tel: (852) 3428 5690 |
Email: lsong@yuantung.com.hk |
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Tiffany Leung |
Tel: (852) 3428 2361 |
Email: tleung@yuantung.com.hk |
HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department
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Johnny Tsui |
Tel: (852) 2584 4395 |
Email: johnny.cy.tsui@hktdc.org |
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Jane Cheung |
Tel: (852) 2584 4137 |
Email: jane.mh.cheung@hktdc.org |
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Serena Cheung |
Tel: (852) 2584 4272 |
Email: serena.hm.cheung@hktdc.org |