Getting in line with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), integrating finance with industry development, and promoting a global gold trading market in Hong Kong will be the three main themes of next week’s 19th Asian Financial Forum to be held in the special administrative region.

Co-organized by the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the two-day conference on Jan 26 and 27 is expected to be attended by more than 140 financial officials, business leaders and financial experts as guest speakers, as well as over 3,600 participants from more than 60 countries and regions.

“Amid the current complexities of the international landscape, the forum will optimize the strategic positioning of our industrial and financial supply chains from a global perspective to achieve win-win outcomes,” Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, said.

This year’s event will host the first Global Business Summit on the second day of the gathering, with business leaders from the artificial intelligence, new consumer trend, biomedicine and healthcare, as well as green energy sectors, invited to share their insights into how financial services can empower the real economy.

“The Global Business Summit is to deepen the financial sector’s integration with high-value industries, thus generating a string multiplier effect that can transform capital into significant economic growth and drive industrial upgrading,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, Patrick Lau Hui-ping.

This conference will further focus on the gold market’s development. The HKSAR government and the Shanghai Gold Exchange will sign a memorandum of understanding on gold market’s growth, along with the latest initiatives to create an international gold trading market in Hong Kong.

Amid trade policy uncertainties worldwide, gold has emerged as a safe haven for investors, Hui said. The current global gold market is dominated by London, the United States and Shanghai, but he believes Hong Kong’s internationalization can create synergies with the Shanghai Gold Exchange.

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“The MoU with the Shanghai Gold Exchange will designate one of Hong Kong’s warehouses as a delivery warehouse, demonstrating that both places are beginning to cooperate with all global gold exchanges. This cooperation is government-led with an aim of establishing a central clearing center in Hong Kong to settle over-the-counter transactions, and jointly building a gold market ecosystem with the Chinese mainland that will bring new values to both parties,” Hui said.

This year’s AFF is in line with the recommendations of the country’s 15th Five-year Plan, and helping mainland enterprises to go global will also be a major theme.

“More than 52,000 Chinese companies have extended their footprint outside the mainland,” noted HSBC Hong Kong's Chief Executive Officer Maggie Ng who also chairs the AFF Steering Committee.

She said Hong Kong thrives as the mainland’s gateway to the world, especially when Asia's digital economy and supply chain networks are becoming increasingly mature.

Jack Chan, AFF Knowledge Partner and chairman of EY China, noted that in the past, mainland enterprises’ overseas business expansion had been driven by the need for cross-border merchandise goods transactions. But the expansion is now more dominated by the need to export technology and brand that requires business localization.

According to EY data, the mainland’s foreign direct investment reached $128.9 billion in the first three quarters of last year -- an annual increase of 3.6 percent.

This year’s forum will have four exhibition areas to showcase financial services opportunities of more than 140 exhibitors. Deal-making sessions will also be arranged to explore business project opportunities in environment, energy and clean technology, healthcare technology, as well as financial technology.

Over the years, the AFF has helped about 8,000 companies and arranged some 10,000 one-on-one project matchmaking sessions.

China Daily’s Asia Leadership Roundtable will co-host a discussion session with the AFF on Jan 27 to examine how Hong Kong can leverage its regulatory sandbox and financial capabilities to de-risk low-altitude economy projects, foster cross-border commercial applications, and channel global investment for developing the low-altitude economy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.