The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) has opened the AFRC Regional Regulatory Forum (RRF) 2026 in Hong Kong, organised under the theme “Governance at Every Level”.
Discussions at the event centred on strengthening regulatory and corporate oversight, protecting market and reporting standards, and reinforcing public trust across capital markets.
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Around 500 participants from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and international jurisdictions including public officials, regulatory authorities, accounting professionals, and corporate leaders attended the event.
In his opening speech, AFRC chairman Dr David Sun said regulatory systems and governance frameworks must adjust to rapid market shifts.
Dr Sun said: “As AI, new business models and increasing cross-border activities create new opportunities and risks, the way we regulate, govern, report and audit must also evolve.”
Dr Sun identified trust as a critical economic asset for capital markets, urging executives across commercial and professional organisations to align individual values with institutional culture.
He also outlined five governance pillars. This includes character to ensure ethical conduct, capability to apply technical expertise and judgement, capacity to allocate adequate staffing and resources, consistency in observing standards across all tiers, and correctability to address operational weaknesses.
AFRC CEO Janey Lai said: “Trust grows when each of us plays our part, and when those individual efforts come together. That is what ‘Governance at Every Level’ is really about.”
The forum initiated a three-day programme that includes a private regulatory roundtable alongside workshops arranged for overseas delegates.
Last month, AFRC reported continued growth in Hong Kong’s public interest entity (PIE) audit market, while calling on firms to invest in talent and technology to support long-term sustainability.
