The 19th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held on 26-27 January 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme "Co-creating New Horizons Amid an Evolving Landscape," the forum introduces a new tagline, "Finance Empowering Business," and for the first time features a Global Business Summit focused on the deep integration of finance and the real economy. This expansion beyond traditional financial topics aims to unlock the potential of high-value industries and drive innovation for stronger economic growth.
Prof Frederick Ma, HKTDC Chairman, noted that over 18 years, AFF has grown to host over 1,000 speakers and attract some 60,000 participants, becoming a flagship financial forum in Asia and worldwide. The inaugural Global Business Summit, co-organised with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, will address trending topics such as artificial intelligence, new consumer trends, biomedicine, and green energy. Industry leaders will analyse opportunities for mainland enterprises to go global and help international firms establish operations in the Chinese mainland market, leveraging Hong Kong's advantages as a superconnector and super value-adder.
Maggie Ng, Chairperson of the AFF Steering Committee and HSBC Hong Kong CEO, expects over 3,600 participants from 60 countries and regions. The agenda includes discussion panels on global economic outlook, CIO insights, asset and wealth management, trade finance, supply chain management, and gold exchange. The forum also features the AFF Deal-making platform, which has engaged over 8,000 companies and arranged more than 10,000 meetings. This year, a hybrid model extends online networking through 29 January.
Four key exhibition zones will be present, including the FintechHK Start-up Salon, a new FutureGreen Showcase, Global Investment Zone, and InnoVenture Salon, with over 140 exhibitors such as Bank of China (Hong Kong), CICC, EY, HSBC, Huatai International, and Standard Chartered Bank. These zones will showcase innovative business concepts, green finance solutions, and technology applications to foster cross-sector collaboration and global business opportunities. More details, including the speaker list and media registration, will be announced at a press conference on 19 January.
For more information, visit the Asian Financial Forum website for the full agenda and speaker list. The forum underscores Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre amid evolving global dynamics, focusing on practical collaborations and the integration of finance with the real economy to drive sustainable growth.
