The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) have co-hosted the HKICPA x IFAC PAIB Conference in Hong Kong.
The meeting, with a central theme of ‘Forging what’s next – PAIBs at the helm of change’, brought together professional accountants in business (PAIBs) and senior finance executives from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.
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Participants included representatives from France, the local Hong Kong community, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands and the UK.
Discussions centred on how PAIBs can respond to future transformation amid technological disruption and evolving geopolitics.
The conference was attended by HKICPA president Stephen Law, the first PAIB to hold the role.
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan addressed attendees, stating that geopolitics, new technologies and the green transition are reshaping global commerce and financial markets.
He said Hong Kong can offer “stability and connectivity amid global uncertainty”. He also referred to the city’s initial public offering pipeline, the growth of asset management and closer economic integration with the Chinese mainland under the 15th Five‑Year Plan.
Chan also outlined two strategic directions for the city’s development.
The AI+ approach seeks to embed AI across different sectors, alongside measures to cultivate talent. The Finance+ strategy aims to expand capital markets, reinforce the financial ecosystem, and facilitate the growth of innovation and technology companies.
The conference was also attended by IFAC CEO Lee White; IFAC PAIB Advisory Group chair Josephine Okui Ossiya; and Securities and Futures Commission chairman Kelvin Wong, among others.
The HKICPA said it intends to continue promoting accounting as an “international business language” through a broad range of international partnerships and exchanges.
Last month, the HKICPA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption to enhance ethical conduct in the accounting profession.
