IFFO on Belt and Road Financing Opportunities

The HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO) hosted a panel discussion at the Belt & Road Summit today to promote Hong Kong’s unique advantages in capturing financing opportunities from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).  The panel discussion was well received and attended by more than 1,000 overseas and local industry leaders from various sectors. 

The panel discussion on “Capturing Infrastructure Investments and Financing Opportunities through Hong Kong” was led by Dr Victor Fung, Group Chairman of Fung Group and Advisor of IFFO, comprising key stakeholders from the public and private sectors including (in alphabetical order of organisation name) Dr Wang Chunxin, Senior Economist of Economics and Strategic Planning Department of Bank of China (Hong Kong); Mr Chen Xi, General Manager, China Hua Neng Group Hong Kong Limited; Mr Vincent Lee, Executive Director (External) of the HKMA and Deputy Director of IFFO; Mr Ram Mahidhara, Chief Investment Officer, International Finance Corporation; and Mr Darcy Lai, Managing Director, Regional Head of Global Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered Bank. The speakers exchanged views on the infrastructure needs and financing opportunities along the Belt and Road, and how Hong Kong can position itself to capture these opportunities.

Dr Victor Fung said, “As an international financial centre with close proximity to the Mainland of China, Hong Kong can serve as a vital gateway to capture Belt and Road financing opportunities.  Today’s panel has helped us better understand where the financing opportunities as well as challenges are, and how Hong Kong can strengthen its long term competitiveness.”

The panel discussion was part of the Belt & Road Summit organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in Hong Kong.

HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office
11 September 2017

 

Dr. Victor Fung, Group Chairman of Fung Group and Advisor of IFFO (far left) leads the panel discussion at the seminar. Panel members include (from second left to right): Mr Ram Mahidhara, Chief Investment Officer, International Finance Corporation; Mr Chen Xi, General Manager, China Hua Neng Group Hong Kong Limited; Mr Darcy Lai, Managing Director, Regional Head of Global Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered Bank; Dr Wang Chunxin, Senior Economist of Economics and Strategic Planning Department of Bank of China (Hong Kong); and Mr Vincent Lee, Executive Director (External) of the HKMA and Deputy Director of IFFO.

Dr. Victor Fung, Group Chairman of Fung Group and Advisor of IFFO moderates a panel discussion to promote Hong Kong’s unique advantages in capturing financing opportunities arising from the Belt & Road Initiative.

About IFFO

As part of the HKMA, IFFO’s mission is to facilitate infrastructure investments and their financing by working with a cluster of key stakeholders. The functions of IFFO are:

• providing a platform for information exchange and experience sharing;
• building capacity and knowledge on infrastructure investments and financing;
• promoting market and product development; and
• facilitating infrastructure investment and financing flows.

By establishing IFFO, the HKMA can play a valuable role as a catalyst in the facilitation of infrastructure investments and their financings with its mandate to promote Hong Kong as an international financial centre.

For more information about IFFO, please visit http://www.iffo.org.hk.