The 19th Asian Financial Forum will be Held for Two Days Starting from January 26th, with a "Global Industry Summit" Session Newly Added

The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will host the 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) from January 26th to 27th, with a new "Global Business Summit" session added for the first time.

The 2025 AFF, Photo source: reference image

The Bureau previously stated on its social media that 2026 marks the beginning of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, a crucial blueprint that will guide a new chapter of high-quality development over the next five years. The Plan emphasizes the need to develop new productive forces tailored to local conditions, facilitate the smooth flow of domestic and international dual circulation, deepen reform and opening up, and promote the deep integration of green and low-carbon transition with the digital economy, which not only points the direction for the nation's economic and social development, but also brings significant opportunities and new missions to Hong Kong as an international financial hub. In the following days, Hong Kong will proactively integrate into and serve the overall national development, leveraging its unique advantages to help the real economy move towards high-quality development.

The financial industry of Hong Kong has always played a vital bridging role between the Mainland and the world. In the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong would further promote the deep integration of finance and the real economy. In the past, Hong Kong has consistently supported global trade and investment based on its free and open market environment, sound legal system, and its financial system aligned with international market. In the future, Hong Kong will accelerate the transformation into a professional services hub, providing enterprises with comprehensive support encompassing trade finance, supply chain management, risk management, and innovative investment, etc. Such a direction aligns closely with national policies, particularly echoing goals such as enhancing the self-sufficiency and controllability of the industrial chain, developing advanced manufacturing clusters, and promoting high-level opening-up, etc. Hong Kong's financial services are moving beyond capital flows to the real economy with deep empowerment, helping enterprises enhance resilience and seize new opportunities amidst the reconstruction of the global supply chain.

The Asian Financial Forum, Photo source: asianfinancialforum.com

To facilitate the process, the 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) will be held from January 26th to 27th, with a new "Global Business Summit" session added for the first time. The forum, themed "Working Together Amidst Changes, Achieving Win-Win Outcomes in the New Era," will bring together global financial and industrial leaders to discuss how to achieve win-win outcomes in the complex and volatile international environment. Expected to attract over 3,600 participants from 60 countries and regions, with over 80% being CEOs or senior decision-makers of well-known enterprises, the forum will cover hot topics such as the outlook of the global economy, asset and wealth management, green finance, and sustainable transformation, etc., with a focus on discussing how finance can serve the real economy more effectively.

The first day of the forum will feature the opening ceremony, focusing on the macroeconomic situation and multilateral cooperation, as well as a signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding related to the development of the gold market, which is an important step in promoting the development of Hong Kong's gold market. Moreover, the latest plan of strengthening the construction of the central gold clearing system will be released, preparing for future interconnection between Hong Kong and the Mainland market. Such a movement not only echoes the national strategy of building a strong financial nation, but also provides global investors with more comprehensive risk avoidance and asset allocation tools, to establish Hong Kong's position as an international gold trading hub. A special forum will also be held on the same day to deeply analyze the latest trends in the global gold market and provide investors with forward-looking insights.

The Global Business Summit, Photo source: asianfinancialforum.com

The Global Business Summit, held on the second day, will mark a significant upgrade of the forum's content. The summit will focus on high-growth potential industries, including artificial intelligence and technology, biomedicine, robotics, new consumption, and green energy, etc., promoting Mainland enterprises to "expand international market" and attract international enterprises to "invest the Chinese market" through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and project matching. As a two-sided platform, Hong Kong will assist enterprises in seeking new opportunities in the global value chain, promote industrial upgrading and innovative development, which aligns with the innovation-driven development and higher-level opening-up emphasized in the 15th Five-Year Plan, aiming to promote technological self-reliance and sustainable growth.

Furthermore, the forum will feature an "AFF Deal-making" themed area, providing one-on-one project matching and investment exchange, covering key industries such as environmental energy, fintech, consumer goods, deep technology, and medical technology, etc. The exhibition area will also present several themed exhibitions, including the "FutureGreen Showcase" showcasing global green finance solutions, the "InnoVenture Salon" focusing on startups, and the "Global Investment Zone" introducing investment opportunities in various countries, allowing participants to not only obtain new insights, but also explore cooperation potential.

Photo source: asianfinancialforum.com

As the 15th Five-Year Plan embarks, Hong Kong is actively integrating into the national development strategy, enabling finance to better serve the real economy as well as support innovation and sustainable development. The Asian Financial Forum and the Global Business Summit will be invaluable platforms where financial professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors, can all expand their network, broaden horizons, and create new opportunities. All sectors are welcome to participate and join hands to seize the development opportunities in the new era, moving towards a more prosperous future.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The groundwork to find the New York Giants' next coach began not long after Brian Daboll was fired in November.

Joe Schoen went to work doing research and coming up with a list of potential candidates.

Now that the NFL regular season is over, the search begins in earnest. Interim coach Mike Kafka will get a courtesy interview, though that's just the start of the “wide net” Schoen promised to cast after ownership confirmed he'd be back for a fifth year as general manager.

“There’s no directive that it has to be an offensive guy or a defensive guy or special teams or college or whatever it may be — having head coaching experience previously,” Schoen said Monday. “There’s several criteria that we’re going to look for, leadership being an important element in the head coaching world. Football acumen will be important. Player development is very important, having a plan for player development (along with) holding people accountable and communication.”

Helping franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart take his game to the next level after an impressive rookie season is perhaps the most important job for whoever takes over. Dart on locker-cleanout day said he trusts Schoen and the owners to make the right hire and believes he can work with any coach.

“I definitely feel like there’s a relationship standpoint from a quarterback-to-head coach thing that you want, and I think that will help you play better on the field,” said Dart, who threw for 15 touchdowns and ran for nine more in his first 12 starts in the league. “You definitely want somebody who can match my intensity and I can match theirs and have the same vision and outlook of how we want things to be done and to win at the highest level.”

An older teammate invoked the name of the most recent person to win at the highest level with the Giants when asked what qualities he'd like to see in the next coach.

“Somebody that’s Tom Coughlin-esque,” veteran receiver Darius Slayton said. “It’s no mistake why he won when he was here was his personality and the way he went about his business, and I think it takes a certain type of person to be a head coach in New York. It’s tough job. It obviously comes with a lot of scrutiny, but I think you need to have a certain disposition to get the job done effectively and I feel like he probably embodies a lot of qualities that we require now.”

New York has had seven coaches since Coughlin, a two-time Super Bowl champion, retired from coaching following the 2015 season. Counting two playoff games, they have gone 45-105-1: a winning percentage of .300.

“No matter who the coach is, the players got to step it up,” said running back Cam Skattebo, who had his rookie year cut short midway through by a broken right fibula and dislocated right ankle. “We have to lead (by) example for each other.”

While prior experience running an NFL team is not a prerequisite, it doesn't hurt the cases of Mike McCarthy, Vance Joseph or a couple of coaches who were freshly fired: John Harbaugh from Baltimore and Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland. Harbaugh figures to shoot to the top of the Giants' list after his abrupt dismissal by the Ravens on Tuesday.

Schoen did not know over the past eight weeks if Harbaugh, Stefanski, Atlanta's Raheem Morris or others would be available, so he spent time studying coordinators as part of a much longer process than he got after taking over as GM in January 2022, when he hired Daboll days later.

"Having this runway has really helped," Schoen said, “I feel really good about the information we’ve collected already. There’s some really good candidates on both sides of the ball, collegiately. We’re going to look everywhere.”

Offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak in Seattle and Kliff Kingsbury in Washington are among the options if the Giants look for someone known for working with QBs, such as Jacksonville found in Liam Coen for Trevor Lawrence and Chicago in Ben Johnson for Caleb Williams.

Intriguing defensive coordinators include Lou Anarumo in Indianapolis, Jeff Hafley in Green Bay and Chris Shula of the Los Angeles Rams.

Schoen cited Sean McDermott from his previous stop in Buffalo with Josh Allen and New England's Mike Vrabel with Drake Maye as defensive-minded coaches who have overseen quarterbacks becoming elite. But he has also said he wants the next coach to be able to lead the entire team, not just Dart, who might meet a candidate along the way but won't be asked for input on the hire.

Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch and their families will make the final call. Players offering their suggestions included edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux wanting “someone that pushes us” and tight end Theo Johnson a coach who can handle the pressure and get the most out of talent, while also relating to them as people.

“A leader: somebody that can lead men out to battle, somebody we want to go battle for and somebody that’s going to have your back when you’re out there on the field, somebody that’s going to uplift you when your down,” top receiver Malik Nabers said. “If we find someone that can do that, we’d be leaning to the right direction.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, right, talk before an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

FILE - New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen reacts during Back Together Weekend at the team's NFL football training camp, July 27, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris talks to reporters after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)