At the invitation of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Chen Peng, Deputy Director of the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC), led a working team and 28 young entrepreneurs to the 18th Asian Financial Forum in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from Jan 13 to 14. This year's forum, co-hosted by the HKSAR government and the HKTDC and themed "Powering the Next Growth Engine", attracted nearly 3,600 political and business leaders from 50 countries and regions.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu spoke at the opening ceremony, where he said that Hong Kong, as an international financial center, has always had an advantage in connecting global finance and investment, adding that the region is ready to propel the next engine of growth and contribute to overall development.

Zhou Ji, Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the central government will continue to help Hong Kong consolidate its status as an international financial, trade and shipping center, and accelerate its pace of technological innovation.

Peter KN Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, said that innovative elements such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, financial technology and healthcare are expected to become important drivers of economic growth and human development.

The forum was attended by officials, including Gilles Roth, Luxembourg's Finance Minister; Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community; and Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Heads of international financial organizations and experts, including Justin Yifu Lin, a former World Bank chief economist; Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB); Roberta Casali, Deputy President of AIIB; and Yoshiki Takeuchi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, also participated.

Forum participants analyzed thoroughly the evolution of the global economic landscape, with discussions focusing on how to achieve stable growth and propel rapid economic development in a volatile international situation.

The young entrepreneurs who participated in the forum found the discussions highly enlightening, saying that the visit to Hong Kong is instrumental in helping their enterprises promptly identify the latest trends in world economic and technological development, uncover new opportunities and gain fresh perspectives for innovative development.

Moving forward, they said they will leverage their strengths in various fields to contribute to the building of an open world economy.