Amid the 19th Asian Financial Forum, Ma Si-heng, Chairman of the organizing body Hong Kong Trade Development Council, stated in an exclusive interview that while the global geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound adjustments and economic development faces heightened uncertainty, risk and opportunity invariably coexist in any era. Currently, a growing number of countries are moving closer to China and are also closely watching the prospects of the Chinese market; for both the Hong Kong and mainland markets, opportunities outweigh challenges.
Ma Si-heng expressed that the global geopolitical environment is continuously changing, where the only certainty is "uncertainty," yet every era perpetually presents both challenges and opportunities. This opportunity is reflected in the concrete actions of more nations actively aligning with China and deepening their interaction with the Chinese market. As a super-connector, Hong Kong can more clearly perceive the dividends brought by this trend.
In the Middle East, this trend of alignment is particularly evident. Following the successful outcomes of the Hong Kong Chief Executive's delegation to the Middle East for exchanges the year before last, Middle Eastern capital has begun increasing its investment in China.
A government representative from the Middle East region indicated a desire to share in China's dividends, expressing optimism about cooperating with mainland infrastructure and energy enterprises to participate in local projects such as smart cities and photovoltaic power stations in the Middle East.
A representative from a Middle Eastern sovereign fund attending the forum stated they are currently investing in mainland China's technology, internet, and new energy companies through the Hong Kong capital markets. Hong Kong plays roles in capital对接, risk hedging, and project coordination, with the Hong Kong government or public institutions helping to facilitate multiple cross-border collaborations.
Regarding the Southeast Asian market, countries like Vietnam and Indonesia are actively承接 the spillover of China's industrial chain, primarily focusing on Chinese technology and capital.
An attendee mentioned that their main purpose for this trip was to sign agreements with Hong Kong financial institutions to assist in financing new energy vehicle industry projects in Southeast Asia. They noted that several mainland new energy vehicle manufacturers are currently using Hong Kong as a conduit to export power battery and complete vehicle manufacturing technology to Southeast Asia.
"For mainland enterprises looking to come to Hong Kong, or Hong Kong companies seeking to enter the mainland market, opportunities far outweigh difficulties; for businesses looking towards the global market, the current trend of more countries actively moving closer to China and closely monitoring China's market development means opportunities also outweigh challenges," Ma Si-heng stated.
The introduction of a new "Global Industry Summit" on the second day's agenda became a core innovation of this year's forum. Ma Si-heng indicated that this adjustment responds to both the requirement for finance to support the development of real industries and the need for the Asian Financial Forum to seek upgrades and breakthroughs after years of development.
"The Industry Summit focuses on cutting-edge fields like AI, robotics, healthcare, biology, and chemicals. We have invited numerous industry experts and business leaders to share insights, aiming to attract more participation from the industrial side," Ma Si-heng said.
Observations noted that the deal-making area was the most popular spot during this year's forum. Ma Si-heng explained that the初衷 of this setup was to move the forum beyond mere discussion and facilitate precise matching between capital and projects, helping capital find suitable industrial sectors.
In terms of practical outcomes, this model has achieved significant results. Ma Si-heng介绍ed that "Federated Hermes, with assets under management of $800 billion, had its chairman speak at the AFF last year, where he gained a comprehensive understanding of Hong Kong's advantages. This year, they announced at the AFF the establishment of an office in Hong Kong." Ma Si-heng stated, "This is the core value of the AFF – genuinely attracting high-quality global enterprises or institutions to establish a presence in Hong Kong through platform building, continuously facilitating more cross-border cooperation and commercial transactions."
This year marks the 19th edition of the Asian Financial Forum, with its scale expanding continuously over the years. Ma Si-heng has been involved in the forum's organization since his tenure as Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury.
Ma Si-heng stated that the birth and development of the AFF have moved in step with the trajectory of Hong Kong's economic transformation. After Hong Kong completed its shift from a manufacturing-based to a service-based economy in the 1990s, the financial sector maintained strong growth momentum post-handover. The conception of the AFF began in 2007 when the financial sector already accounted for about 20% of Hong Kong's GDP, serving as a crucial pillar of economic development. Currently, Hong Kong firmly holds its position as an international financial center, ranking only behind London and New York. The financial sector's contribution to Hong Kong's GDP has now risen to 26%.
"The AFF has also continuously upgraded alongside the development of Hong Kong's financial center, always aligning with Hong Kong's developmental positioning and global financial industry trends. This has been key to the forum's improving quality and expanding scale," Ma Si-heng said.
It was reported that the total participation for this year's AFF reached approximately 4,000 attendees from 60 countries and regions worldwide, facilitating over 800 project matchmaking sessions onsite.
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