On November 21-22, 2022, the China-Southeast Asia Economic and Finance Forum, organized by China International Capital Corporation (CICC), was successfully held in Singapore. The hybrid event drew resoundingly positive feedback among its participants, 300 of whom attended on-site and 750 joined online.  

In the opening session, CICC CEO Huang Zhaohui remarked that CICC will play a greater role in fostering collaboration between Chinese and Southeast Asian financial markets. " CICC will leverage its expertise and resources as an international investment bank, to facilitate access to capital for infrastructure development, help attract investment in prospective start-ups, and contribute to ESG, sustainability and green technology initiatives in this region," he said. Noting the strategic importance of Singapore in Southeast Asia, Huang further added that CICC Singapore will be a hub for future operations in the region, and that the firm looks forward to "building strong relations with entrepreneurs, investors, friends and partners."

CEO of CICC Singapore, Stephen Ng, also delivered remarks, noting that the ten economies that make up the ASEAN is projected to become the fourth largest economy by 2030, behind only the US, China, and Japan."Many ASEAN economies are seeing strong economic recovery coming out of the pandemic," Ng stated, and that "as ASEAN companies grow and look for access to capital, Singapore and China will be the two preferred sources of capital.""As such, we have centered our forum on the topic of China and Southeast Asia," he added. 

Sun Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore; SuryoPramoto, Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore; Dr. Teh Kok Peng, Chairman of the East Asia Institute at NUS; and Loh Boon-Chye, CEO of Singapore Exchange, delivered remarks at the forum's keynote session. 

More than 80 speakers from policy, business, and academic fields from across Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Indonesia held in-depth discussions on regional and global trends in economic policies, industries, and financial markets. The forum focuses on key issues and opportunities facing China and Southeast Asia, covering macroeconomics, investment strategies, industry trends, business opportunities, and the digital economy. CICC's various business departments jointly organized sub-panels with industry experts. Resuming face-to-face communication with overseas clientsat the forum provided an important opportunity for CICC to engage with partners and explore new business opportunities.

The forum aims to increase CICC's business presence in Singapore and other Southeast Asian economies and help the firm seize upon accelerated cross-border capital flows between China and the region. By expanding the company's business activities in Southeast Asia, CICC will continue to strengthen dialogue with government agencies, businesses, financial institutions, and research institutes across the region, advance cooperation in international capital markets, and promote cross-border capital flows.