Editorial | Top financial forum shows way for Hong Kong on long road to recovery
- Air of optimism among bankers and finance chiefs bodes well for Hong Kong as world continues to emerge from pandemic and more opportunities arise
If any evidence was needed of how much the lifting of Covid-19 controls and the reopening of the border mean to Hong Kong’s resurgence as a financial hub, it was made abundantly clear at the Asian Financial Forum in the city this week.
Comparisons were inevitable with the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit in November, itself a big statement of the city’s determination to return to centre stage.
This was highly successful despite the remaining pandemic measures. Nonetheless their lifting had a positive effect on the atmosphere this week.
It was reflected among bankers and finance chiefs who attended both events, in the form of heightened enthusiasm and optimism about the opportunities opening up in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area as the world emerges from the pandemic.
What set this week’s event apart – the one-off finance summit aside – is that the two-day regional forum was held in Hong Kong as a physical event for the first time since the pandemic began in early 2020. More than 2,000 attended in person, with over 3,000 online.
The resumption of the forum underscores the city’s importance as a regional financial hub. This is evident in the issues raised over the two days, which reflect the priorities expected of the city.