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.

COSENZA, Italy (AP) — Italian rider Giulio Ciccone took the overall lead of the Giro d’Italia as this year's race moved into his home country for the first time, and Jhonatan Narváez won the fourth stage on Tuesday.

Guillermo Thomas Silva, the first Uruguayan to win a Giro stage and to don the pink jersey, had been in the lead as the race resumed in Italy following a rest day after the opening three stages in Bulgaria.

But Thomas Silva cracked halfway up the lengthy, second-category climb in the latter half of the stage and eventually finished more than 10 minutes off the pace.

Ciccone was fighting for the stage win but the Lidl-Trek cyclist was outsprinted by Narváez, with Orluis Aular second at the end of the 138-kilometer (86-mile) route from Catanzaro, in the foot of Italy, to Cosenza.

The four bonus seconds Ciccone picked up for finishing third was enough to lift him into the overall lead of the Giro, four seconds ahead of Jan Christen, Florian Stork and Egan Bernal.

“The feeling is, I would say, amazing,” said the 31-year-old Ciccone, who crashed out of last year's Giro. "I’ve always dreamed of this jersey since I was a kid. I started this sport dreaming to wear this jersey, and today I think I really realized one of my best dreams.

“Especially like this, you know, I was not expecting this jersey today. After many hard moments, especially last year with the crash. I think this year wearing now this jersey is really something really crazy.”

The Giro is Narváez's first race since the Ecuadorian rider fractured several vertebrae in a crash at the Tour Down Under in Australia in January.

“I think it’s really big for me, this victory here, coming from just three months’ training in Ecuador,” said Narváez, who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. "I want to send thanks to my family, my wife, my team, they’ve been a great support in this time.

“And obviously this victory is also for my teammates, they crashed on stage two, they’ve been working for a while to come here in a good condition and finally we take the victory today ... so I think we are a lot happier now.”

Wednesday’s fifth stage could shake up the general classification standings. It features nearly 4,000 meters of climbing and hardly any flat sections on the 203-kilometer (126-mile) route from Praia a Mare to Potenza.

The 109th men’s Giro ends on May 31 in Rome.

The women’s Giro runs from May 30-June 7 with Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini as the defending champion.

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

Ecuador's Manuel Jhonatan Narvaez celebrates winning the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Catanzaro to Cosenza, Italy, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Gian Mattia d'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Catanzaro to Cosenza, Italy, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Ecuador's Manuel Jhonatan Narvaez celebrates on the podium after winning the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Catanzaro to Cosenza, Italy, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Gian Mattia d'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Ecuador's Manuel Jhonatan Narvaez celebrates winning the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Catanzaro to Cosenza, Italy, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Gian Mattia d'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Italy's Giulio Ciccone kisses the pink jersey of the race overall leader on the podium after completing the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Catanzaro to Cosenza, Italy, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Gian Mattia d'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)