——The Group Successfully Organized the Financial Industry Sub-Forum of Annual China Guangzhou International Investment Meeting

On the morning of March 26, the “Financial Industry Sub-Forum of Annual China Guangzhou International Investment Meeting”, sponsored by the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and organized by Yuexiu Group and Yuexiu Financial Holdings, was successfully held in Qingyuan Hall, Baiyun International Conference Center. The forum was attended by more than 120 people, including Chen Rugui, who is a member of the Guangzhou Municipal Standing Committee and executive vice mayor, Gong Haijie, who is the deputy secretary general of the Municipal Government, leaders from relevant departments of the Municipal Government, leaders from provincial and municipal financial regulatory authorities, important guests from domestic and overseas financial institutions, leaders from municipal state-owned enterprises in Guangzhou, and reporters and investors from home and abroad. The forum was hosted by Wang Shuhui, deputy general manager of the Group and general manager of Yuexiu Financial Holdings.

Firstly, Chairman Zhang Zhaoxing delivered a speech on behalf of Yuexiu Group. He said the fact that Yuexiu Group was able to organize the Financial Industry Sub-forum of this annual meeting fully reflected the attention paid by Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government to the financial industry, and their trust in Yuexiu Group. Mr. Zhang pointed out that with the comprehensive acceleration of the deepened reform and opening up of the current domestic financial industry, the gradual speed-up of RMB internationalization and the “One Belt and One Road” construction process, as well as the official implementation of the Guangdong FTZ strategy, new historic opportunities have emerged with respect to both Hong Kong-Guangdong financial cooperation and development of the Guangzhou Financial industry. The prospects of building a regional financial center are promising, with huge potentials. Therefore, this forum was held so that Yuexiu Group and various experts and senior executives from financial institutions could jointly discuss the new thoughts on transformation and development of the financial industry in Guangzhou in the New Normal, and explore the new measures for the financial industry in the FTZ and Hong Kong-Guangdong financial cooperation. This will not only play a positive role in accelerating the “Strong City of Finance” strategy for Guangzhou, but also have important guiding significance for Yuexiu Group to further define its direction of financial development.

Mr. Zhang stressed that Yuexiu Group will regard the successful convention of this forum as an important opportunity for the Group to continue to leverage its unique advantage as an enterprise residing in both Hong Kong and Guangdong, and shoulder the important mission of reform and development of the national, provincial and municipal financial industry. The Group will also speed up the implementation of the strategy of innovation-driven business transformation and upgrade, and form distinctive characteristics in terms of comprehensive finance, internet finance and cross-border finance, so as to build up an international financial holdings group with a sound service system, well-defined business model, effective interaction between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and strong core competitiveness, and truly become a leader in the construction of the Guangzhou regional financial center, a experimenter in the comprehensive finance reform of the industry, and a pioneer in the financial cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong.

Afterwards, Mu Xi’an, inspector from the Guangzhou Branch of the People’s Bank of China, delivered a speech. He said that the Guangzhou Branch of the People’s Bank of China will seriously implement a stable financial policy, and work with relevant authorities of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City to further deepen the financial cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, and promote interconnection of financial infrastructure among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. The Guangzhou Branch of the PBOC will strive to create a new model for financial reform and opening up of Guangzhou, promote coordination of financial policies, talent interaction and rule integration among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, and create a new phase for the financial sector in the Great Pearl River Delta. It supports large enterprises such as Yuexiu Group to make expansion using the Hong Kong-Macau platform, and grow into multinational financial groups that reside in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, serve the whole country, and have strong competitiveness.

Next, Executive Vice Mayor Chen Rugui said in his speech that Finance is the center of the modern economy, and the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have been paying high attention to financial business, and vigorously promoting transformation and upgrade of the financial industry. Guangzhou is implementing the strategy of “Strong City of Finance”, and striving to create various financial brands such as Guangzhou International Finance City, and China Guangzhou International Finance Expo, and build financial exchanges including Guangzhou Equity Trading Center and Guangzhou Carbon Emission Exchange. In particular, Guangzhou has seized the opportunity of Nansha as a national strategic new area and FTZ to vigorously promote system and business innovation of the financial industry, and strengthen deep financial cooperation among Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. With a positive and open attitude, and a practical and innovative style, Guangzhou will build a market-oriented and legislation-based international business environment, and create a new framework of cooperative development to embrace an interconnected and win-win future.

At the forum, keynote speeches were delivered by five speakers including Yi Cheng, deputy director of the PBOC Research Bureau, Guan Jiaming, chief economist of Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Rong Chengwei, partner of PWC, Zhou Jianjun, director of Guangzhou Financial Work Bureau, and Liang Gao Meiyi, managing director of Chong Hing Bank. Mr. Yi Cheng delivered a speech entitled “Progress and Results of Regional Financial Reform and Innovation”, in which he explained the important experience in the “Top-to-bottom” regional financial development practices in China. Mr. Guan Jiaming delivered a speech entitled “Prospects of Hong Kong-Guangdong Financial Cooperation, and New Ideas, Opportunities and Challenges in Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Based on the Construction of Guangdong FTZ”, in which he suggested the effective, sufficient and flexible use of Guangdong FTZ, which is a new platform for innovation of the Hong Kong-Guangdong cooperation mechanism. Mr. Rong Chengwei delivered a speech entitled “Evaluation, Analysis and Prospects of FTZ Financial Policies”, in which he comprehensively evaluated the development progress of Shanghai FTZ over the past year, and forecasted the future trend of the financial industry in the FTZ. Mr. Zhou Jianjun delivered a speech entitled “Vigorously Improving the Modern Financial Service System, and Accelerating the Construction of Guangzhou Regional Financial Center — Current Status and Subsequent Development Strategy for the Guangzhou Financial Industry”, in which he gave a profound interpretation of the regional financial development strategy based on the current development of the Guangzhou financial industry, and specified the prospects and direction for future development of the Guangzhou financial industry. Ms. Liang Gao Meiyi delivered a speech entitled “Ideas and Measures on Hong Kong-Guangdong Financial Cooperation from the Perspective of Chong Hing Bank”, in which she shared the new ideas and new measures on Hong Kong-Guangdong financial cooperation based on the experience of Chong Hing Bank in its business operation in Hong Kong over the years and expansion to Mainland China.

This forum was successfully held, and received extensive attention and positive feedbacks from all sectors of society, with good economic and social effects.