Opinion | Hong Kong’s financial summit spells good fortune for the city
- The attendance of top bankers reflects the opportunities on the horizon for Hong Kong and the long-term prospects for economic growth on the mainland
- In a year of bank failures in the US, the topic of mitigating future financial risk was also high on the agenda for influential business leaders
Bringing together around 300 of the most influential business leaders from 160 global financial institutions, many of whom are clients of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, is a massive task, particularly in today’s complex geopolitical climate – not to mention at a time when much of the international media coverage unfairly detracts from Hong Kong’s position as a leading international centre for finance and trade, with naysayers questioning our future and the resilience of our unique “one country, two systems” framework.
Most striking to me, however, was how the highly influential grouping included 90 group chairpersons or CEOs from global financial titans. Their attendance reflects the economic opportunities on the horizon for Hong Kong, as well as the benefits of working more closely together to overcome the economic and geopolitical challenges ahead.
Among those represented at the summit were Morgan Stanley, UBS Group, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Blackstone, Carlyle, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Bank of China, HSBC, Sequoia China, Fidelity International, Invesco, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Marshall Wace and Citadel Securities. The United Nations special envoy on climate action and finance was also present.
The event offered an unusual opportunity for face-to-face discussions and sharing among business leaders.
