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 January 26-27, 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the theme "Co-creating New Horizons Amid an Evolving Landscape." This year's forum introduces the tagline "Finance Empowering Business" and features the inaugural Global Business Summit, which marks a strategic shift from purely financial topics to the deep integration of finance with the real economy. HKTDC Chairman Prof Frederick Ma noted that the forum has expanded from a one-day to a two-day event over 18 years, attracting over 60,000 participants and 1,000 speakers to become Asia's flagship financial forum.
The new Global Business Summit aims to unlock the potential of high-value industries and drive innovation for stronger economic growth. The forum will gather more than 100 global political and business leaders to share insights while reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a superconnector and super value-adder in the international financial landscape. Maggie Ng, Chairperson of the Asian Financial Forum Steering Committee and HSBC Hong Kong's Chief Executive Officer, stated that AFF partners like HSBC are dedicated to strengthening Hong Kong's international connections. The forum expects over 3,600 participants from 60 countries and regions to engage with industry leaders driving transformation across technology, consumer, healthcare, and finance sectors.
Delegates will explore Hong Kong's latest advancements in key areas as global economic landscapes evolve and supply chains are reshaped. The two-day agenda includes discussion panels, keynote speeches, and thematic sessions on Global Economic Outlook, CIO Insights, Asset & Wealth Management, Trade Finance and Supply Chain Management, and Gold Exchange. These sessions will explore economic trends, investment outlooks, retirement funds, and financial technology. The Global Business Summit on the second day, co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, HKTDC, and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, will discuss artificial intelligence, new consumer trends, biomedicine, healthcare, and green energy.
The summit will focus on opportunities for mainland enterprises to go global and help international enterprises establish operations in the Chinese Mainland market. Corporate leaders will leverage Hong Kong's international advantages to promote long-term expansion, drive cross-border cooperation, and connect with global markets. The forum also features AFF Deal-making, a global investment-matching platform co-organised with the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA), which has engaged over 8,000 companies and arranged more than 10,000 meetings. This year's hybrid model includes in-person sessions during the forum followed by online networking until January 29.
Four exhibition zones—FintechHK Start-up Salon, FutureGreen Showcase, Global Investment Zone, and InnoVenture Salon—will feature over 140 exhibitors including 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 promote cross-sector exchange and collaborative innovation. More details about the forum are available at https://asianfinancialforum.hktdc.com/conference/aff/en, with the meeting agenda at https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/programme and speaker list at https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/conference/aff/en/speakers.
