Baidu's CEO Robin Li was a distinguished speaker at the 2014 Asian Financial Forum. In a Q&A session with Ronnie Chan, Chairman of Hang Lung Group, Mr Li cited one reason why Google failed in China.

Speaker: Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO, Baidu

Baidu: www.baidu.com

Baidu's CEO Robin Li discussed the promise of cloud computing at the 2014 Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong last week. The largest internet company in China, Baidu provides 2TB of free space storage and Mr Li explains how it is able to do that.

Speaker: Robin Li, co-founder and CEO, Baidu

Baidu: www.baidu.com

Robin Li was named the richest man on the Chinese mainland by the Bloomberg Billionaire Index in December 2013. Mr Li's net worth has climbed by US$4.8 billion, or 65 per cent, to US$12.231 billion. Mr Li took part in a Q&A session with Ronnie Chan of Hang Lung Group, at the 2014 Asian Financial Forum, which took place in Hong Kong last week.

Speaker: Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO, Baidu


Baidu: www.baidu.com

Baidu CEO Robin Li was a featured speaker at the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong last week. In this talk with Hang Lung's Ronnie Chan, Mr Li explains why he believes the younger generation should take the lead in business management.

Speaker: Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO, Baidu

Baidu: www.baidu.com

招商局集團董事長傅育寧博士出席亞洲金融論壇，暢談對中國經濟的看法。他認為中國的負債和高杠杆值得關注，他還對前海寄予希望，期望前海實現貿易便利化，成為現代服務業區，促進香港離岸人民幣市場的發展。

招商局集團: http://www.cmhk.com/

China represents the fastest-growing foreign direct investment into the US at 71% and the trend continues, says Judy Reinke, Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Markets with the US Commerce Department. She says investment can arrive through Hong Kong or directly from a number of Asian countries and with some of the biggest investors coming from Asia, speaking at the Asian Financial Forum was to accept the adage, "follow the money".

Speaker: Judy Reinke, Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Markets, US Commerce Department

SelectUSA: http://selectusa.commerce.gov/

ndia faces huge challenges over the next 16 years as its urban population rises from 31% to 50% of the total population, says Vijay Shhiber, the country's Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The goal of upgrading inter-city infrastructure is likely to be the most challenging, with the needed capital raised through state funding and public-private partnerships.

Speaker: Vijay Chhiber, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport, India

Italian luxury goods company Prada hopes to double sales of its branded shoes, bags and other products in the Asia Pacific over the next three years, says Deputy Chairman Carlo Mazzi. Speaking after attending a panel discussion at the Asian Financial Forum, he says Hong Kong is the gateway for Asia sales and distribution, while itself being an interesting market for the future.

Speaker: Carlo Mazzi, Deputy Chairman, PRADA S.p.A

German entrepreneur Paul-Josef Patt says Hong Kong has developed into a market for meeting Asian investors and raising finance for a wide range of venture-based businesses: At the Asian Financial Forum he says his firm, eCapital, is a vehicle for venture capital investment in hi-tech businesses such as ICT and renewable energy, and his visit coincides with his interest in the Asian consumer markets and building up investment in what he terms the booming markets of Germany.

Speaker: Paul-Josef Patt, Managing Partner, CEO, eCapital

BBVK: http://www.bvkap.de/privateequity.php/cat/2/title/Ho

With an estimated 650 million people moving from rural to urban areas over the next 30 years governments are faced with both the upside and downside of urbanisation, says Anthony Nightingale, Director of Jardine Matheson Holdings and chairman of a panel discussion on urbanisation in Asia at the Asian Financial Forum. The impetus to urbanise is unstoppable, but with the prospect of higher employment and better standards of living, governments have to ensure those less advantaged in urban society are looked after.

Speaker: Anthony Nightingale, Director, Jardine Matheson Holdings

Jardine Matheson: http://www.jardines.com/

The next phase of China's urbanisation is to establish a stable and consistent economy which will require capitalisation and reform of China's bond market, says Stephen Bird, Citi's CEO for the Asia Pacific. Urbanisation will see greater participation of some 400 million rural Chinese in 270 cities, a critical topic for China and the world. Hong Kong will prosper as it adapts to a new world developing for China.

Speaker: Stephen Bird, CEO, Asia Pacific, Citi

Citibank Hong Kong: http://www.citibank.com.hk/

About 2 billion people in the world lack basic infrastructure such as electricity, health care and transportation, and many of those live in Asia.

This puts pressure on governments, and creates opportunities for companies to try to fill the void. With a global market to consider, GE Vice Chairman John Rice says he thinks in terms of product, service, digital and process innovation.

About 2 billion people in the world lack basic infrastructure such as electricity, health care and transportation, and many of those live in Asia.

This puts pressure on governments, and creates opportunities for companies to try to fill the void. With a global market to consider, GE Vice Chairman John Rice says he thinks in terms of product, service, digital and process innovation.

Fabrice Desnos, Regional CEO of Euler Hermes expects intra-regional trade to increase by 80% in the next 10 years. And as companies move from traditional letters of credit to open account credit terms, he expects the market for credit insurance products to grow. Bond and sureties will provide useful alternatives to bank guarantees, especially for infrastructure projects.

Fabrice Desnos, Regional CEO of Euler Hermes expects intra-regional trade to increase by 80% in the next 10 years. And as companies move from traditional letters of credit to open account credit terms, he expects the market for credit insurance products to grow. Bond and sureties will provide useful alternatives to bank guarantees, especially for infrastructure projects.

Under Hong Kong's statutory regime, corporate insider disclosures rose 52% last year compared to 2012, while profit and trading alerts rose 16%, says Carlson Tong, Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission. This shows the success of Hong Kong's pro-active approach to corporate misconduct, combined with legal sanctions such as freezing assets and providing compensation to injured parties.

The message from Europe today is that the current optimism about European economies is justified. Two of the five countries which received money from the European Stability Mechanism have exited their programmes, growth is in positive territory, and banking union is underway. Klaus Regling, Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism wants Asian investors to better understand what the economic situation is in Europe.

"發達國家陰盛陽衰而新興國家陽盛陰衰" 這是中國投資有限責任公司董事長兼首席執行官丁學東在第7屆亞洲金融論壇上發表的獨特論點。他表示中國經濟可應對美國退市帶來的波動，原因有三。而中國主權基金更會繼續投資歐美等正在復蘇的市場。

中國投資有限責任公司: http://www.china-inv.cn/

With many countries rebalancing their economies, "the world will never be the same" says Russia's Deputy Minister of Finance, Alexey Moiseev, and the world must move on from goods trades between countries toward sustained co-operation and integrated financial flows, among other areas. Speaking beside the Asian Financial Forum 2014 in Hong Kong, he says the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become a "supra-regional" body since its founding in 2006, assisting the growth of "Eurasia", while Hong Kong is becoming a gateway for financial markets where Russian financial securities can find investors.

Speaker: Alexey Moiseev, Deputy Minister of Finance, Russian Federation

At the Asian Financial Forum 13-14 January 2014, Big Four services and consultancy firm Deloitte will present its findings on innovation affecting financial services. These will include issues arising from multilateral trade agreements which will have a major impact on supply chains, financial services, investment and capital transfers, says Kenneth DeWoskin, Director of Deloitte China Research and Insight Centre. The firm will also discuss "disrupters" to traditional services, as digital mobility, stored value and virtual currencies enter the financial arena, says Tim Pagett, China Financial Services Industry Leader, Deloitte China.

Speakers:
Kenneth DeWoskin, Director, Deloitte China Research and Insight Centre
Tim Pagett, China Financial Services Industry Leader, Deloitte China

Deloitte: http://www.deloitte.com/

The "Bali Package" initiatives taken at the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Bali in December 2013 constitute a "turning point for multilateralism", says Dr Victor Fung, Group Chairman of the Fung Group and Founding Chairman of the Fung Global Institute. Ahead of the Asian Financial Forum 2014, Dr Fung says the initiative puts Hong Kong's role back at centre stage as a spokesman for multilateralism and makes Hong Kong the intermediary for northern and southern Asian flows of trade, people, investment, information and knowledge, which he believes is an SAR vision for the future.

Speakers:
Dr Victor Fung, Group Chairman, Fung Group and Founding Chairman, Fung Global Institute

The effect of US-led tapering could be mitigated in the Asia Pacific by a continued access to liquidity from Japan says Michael Smith, CEO of ANZ. He also says in an interview ahead of the Asian Financial Forum next month that easing has created excess liquidity and an adjustment in the value of the yen that has stimulated industry there "in a way that I have not seen in my business lifetime." Mr Smith goes on to comment on the expansion of Rmb business, Hong Kong's and Shanghai's role, while believing global markets are "more predictable again".

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited: http://www.anz.com/hongkong/en/Personal/

Hong Kong -- like London and New York -- is a "first rate" financial centre with an advantage over other cities including those in Asia, according to Dr Paul Achleitner, of Deutsche Bank AG. Dr Achleitner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Germany's largest banking institution, will be speaking at the 13-14 January 2014 Asian Financial Forum. In this interview, he argues that Hong Kong's strong financial tradition over decades is very important to its success. Dr Achleitner also was positive regarding fundamental growth factors in Asia as the world de-leverages, and Deutsche Bank is very encouraged by China's recently announced political and economic agenda.

The Asian Financial Forum is the first stop in APEC's bid to deepen and broaden economic growth across the region in 2014, with the APEC Finance Ministers' meeting happening later in the year in the SAR. The regional trend is for less trade-driven and more domestic, demand-driven growth, says Alan Bollard, APEC Executive Director, APEC Secretariat.

APEC: http://www.apec.org

Despite its leading role in Asia, Hong Kong is adjusting to the context of a new global economic paradigm. In this breakfast panel on day two of the 2014 Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, government officials and business leaders from the city discussed the way ahead.

APEC Secretariat Executive Director Dr Alan Bollard was the keynote speaker at the day one luncheon during the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) 2014 in Hong Kong. Dr Bollard spoke about the key role the regional grouping has played in facilitating trade and investment liberalisation.

Bitcoins, branding and online technology were among the financial innovations explored in the Deloitte-sponsored Concurrent Workshop on day two of the 2014 Asian Financial Forum (AFF) in Hong Kong. The 13-14 January event welcomed hundreds of speakers, including for this session - top officials from Octopus Holdings, AIA Group, Kapronasia, Lufax and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

Note: Bitcoin comments are at 02:45

The challenges and opportunities posed by rapid urbanisation formed the basis of a panel on day 2 of the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong. The discussion included business leaders from Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the Chinese mainland.

Hong Kong's role as Asia's asset management hub was explored in this concurrent workshop on Day 2 of the 2014 Asian Financial Forum (AFF). The 14 January session included top officials from banks and financial agencies.

Executives from Asian banks and financial services firms discussed the impact of increased global regulation on the Asian finance sector, and the growth prospects for financial services. Panelists are Michael Smith, CEO of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., Jih-Chu Lee, Chairperson, Bank of Taiwan, Isao Kubota, Vice Chairman, Regional Banks Association of Japan and Mark Tucker, Group Chief Executive and President, AIA Group Ltd.

What should businesses know about mainland China's new growth model? The challenges and opportunities related to economic and structural reforms put in place under the nation's Third Plenum and more were the focus of an afternoon session on Day 1 of the 2014 Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong. Panelists included Hang Lung Properties Chairman Ronnie Chan, Shanghai Vice Mayor Tu Guangshao, China Merchants Bank Chairman Fu Yuning and Levin Zhu, the president and CEO of China International Capital Corporation Ltd.

Just where should you invest as global economies get back on track? That was the question on the minds of a panel of experts and senior executives from China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy who spoke at this panel on day 1 of the 2014 Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, 13 January.

Day one of the 7th Asian Financial Forum continued in Hong Kong with a Policy Dialogue involving Klaus Regling, Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism, Saeb Eigner the Chairman of the Dubai Financial Services Authority and Carlson Tong, Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission, Hong Kong - discussing the impact of increased regional collaboration and coordinated financial policies.

The seventh edition of the Asian Financial Forum opened on 13 January 2014 with an exploration of how Asia is "powering world growth" as the global economy continues to recover. The president of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem joined Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Alexy Moiseev, Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao and Hong Kong's Financial Secretary KC Chan at the event in Hong Kong.