Company News - 6 November 2016

AMTD becomes Strategic Partner Associate of World Economic Forum

AMTD Group (“AMTD”) is honoured to announce that it has become a Strategic Partner Associate of the World Economic Forum (“WEF”), in less than a year since AMTD joined as an industry partner of this world-renowned non-profit organization. In addition, AMTD is the only Hong Kong-based company among the 136 selected Strategic Partners and Strategic Partner Associates of the WEF, which reflects the strong brand values and influences of AMTD in global capital markets and the financial industry. Going forward, AMTD seeks to have further co-operation with the WEF to shape the future developments and growth in the industry, both regionally and at the global level.

AMTD is the only selected Hong Kong enterprise among WEF Strategic Partner Associates

The World Economic Forum was established by Professor Klaus Schwab in 1971 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. As a world-famous non-profit foundation with significant influences, WEF is best known for its annual winter meeting in Davos, a small town in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland.

The Strategic Partners and Strategic Partner Associates of the WEF comprise a select group of leading global companies representing diverse regions and industries. Through interacting with WEF’s multistakeholder networks and experts, the select Member companies are committed to shaping the industry, regional and global agendas by contributing to leading positive impact on society and engaging in action to support corporate global citizenship. Currently, the WEF has 100 Strategic Partners and 36 Strategic Partner Associates. AMTD is the only Hong Kong-based firm and one of the very few companies representing the Greater China region among the Strategic Partner Associates. Some of the Member companies of the Strategic Partner Associates are: Khazanah Nasional Bhd, a sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Malaysia; Uber Technologies, a pioneer of sharing economy; Bloomberg, the world’s financial information and news leader; Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest diversified consumer healthcare company globally; Toshiba, a leading semi-conductor maker; Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, as well as SAP Software solutions, a market leader in enterprise application software.

In early 2016, AMTD was the only Hong Kong-based financial institution selected by the WEF to join as an industry partner and has participated in various events including the 2016 World Economic Forum in Davos, World Economic Forum ASEAN Summit and Davos Summer Summit. In less than one year, AMTD has been promoted to be a Strategic Partner Associate. This has reflected WEF's recognition of AMTD as the representative of Asia's financial institutions and a leading force in the sector, as well as its consistent efforts in the practice of corporate social responsibility in order to make the world a better place. It also highlighted the support of World Economic Forum on AMTD's work in areas such as acting as the linkage between China and Hong Kong capital markets and facilitating co-operation between Chinese enterprises and international markets.

AMTD attends 2016 WEF on the Mekong Region summit as a Chinese representative and one of the panelists

On 25 October, the World Economic Forum on the Mekong Region summit was successfully launched in Hanoi of Vietnam. National dignitaries from the ASEAN region, including Cambodian Prime Minister Mr. Hun Sen, Vietnamese Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar President Mr. U Htin Kyaw, Laos Prime Minister Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Somkid Jatusripitak all attended the Summit.

(AMTD Chairman & President Mr. Calvin Choi was invited as a representative from China to deliver a speech in a panel discussion on ASEAN’s infrastructure investment strategies and opportunities. Other guests include: Mr. Sun Chanthol, a Senior Minister and the Minister of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia; Mr. Eric Sidgwick, ADB Country Director for Vietnam; Mr. Nirukt Sapru, CEO of Standard Chartered for Vietnam, ASEAN and South Asia Cluster Markets, as well as Mr. Don Lam, a founding partner of Vietnam’s largest asset manager Vina Capital)

Mr. Calvin Choi, Chairman and President of AMTD was invited to attend the Summit as a representative from China to deliver a speech in a panel discussion on ASEAN’s infrastructure investment strategies and opportunities. Mr. Calvin Choi said, “ASEAN is one of the most energetic economies in the world, and Chinese capital is optimistic about the prospects for the many developments and opportunities in the region. The cooperation in infrastructure finance between China and ASEAN countries helps not only lowering the manufacturing cost in Asia but also facilitating trade and investment liberalization as well as the integration of ASEAN economies. In addition, this could support the export of China's excess infrastructure capacity and hence accelerate the industrial transformation and upgrades. A well-established financial system and a well-functioning capital market are the key pillars of infrastructure financing. With the gradual opening up of the financial systems of ASEAN countries, there will be increasing participation of Chinese capital in the region.”

Other guests who joined the panel were: Mr. Sun Chanthol, a Senior Minister and the Minister of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia; Mr. Eric Sidgwick, Country Director for Vietnam at the Asian Development Bank; Mr. Nirukt Sapru, CEO of Standard Chartered for Vietnam, ASEAN and South Asia Cluster Markets, as well as Mr. Don Lam, a founding partner of Vietnam’s largest asset manager Vina Capital.