More than 3,600 policymakers and business leaders from more than 50 countries and regions gathered together in Hong Kong to discuss investment opportunities and the latest financial market developments at the recently concluded Asian Financial Forum (AFF).
The theme of this year’s AFF, Asia’s first large-scale international financial and business event in 2025, was Powering the Next Growth Engine. More than 130 senior leaders from around the world joined as speakers.
The forum, which leverages Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre to foster multilateral cooperation, was co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
Three high-level Mainland China officials attended AFF’s opening session: 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.
Prof Justin Lin Yifu, former World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, noted that Hong Kong is well positioned to benefit from China’s ongoing economic development, as part of a keynote speech analysing the global landscape.
China should be able to maintain 4.5% average annual growth between 2019 and 2049, due to the size of its domestic market, Prof Lin predicted. “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.”
Sustainability also emerged as a prominent topic at AFF. Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), looked at the adoption of financial disclosure standards to enhance confidence in Hong Kong’s capital markets. Other sessions looked at transition finance, sustainable investment and the latest goals funding recently agreed at the COP 29 climate conference.
AFF 2025 also saw the debut of the Gulf Cooperation Council Chapter, jointly organised by the AFF and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
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, while highlighting investment opportunities and examining ways to strengthen financial cooperation and investment between the GCC and Hong Kong.
Other AFF sessions, such as CIO Insights, Dialogues for Tomorrow and Global Spectrum, covered a variety of trending issues, from fintech and capital markets to female entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
This year’s AFF Deal-making, which helped connect funds and investment projects from across the globe, brought together more than 270 investors and over 560 investment projects. Overall, AFF convened more than 700 one-on-one meetings, spanning sectors such as fintech, healthtech, the environment and infrastructure and real estate, among others.
AFF Deal-making was co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.
Meanwhile, exhibition zones, set up to create business connections and promote networking, hosted more than 140 exhibitors.
Three other events ran concurrently with AFF: the Hong Kong International Fundraising Roundtable 2025; the Malaysia–Hong Kong Islamic Finance Roundtable, co-organised with Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre Leadership Council; and the Family Office Symposium, co-organised with the Private Wealth Management Association.
