Forum Focuses on Tech-driven Financial Cooperation

The Global Asset Management Forum 2025 Shanghai Suhewan Conference took place in Jing'an District this month, attracting more than 100 senior domestic and international financial leaders. The focus was on technology-driven wealth management, global financial cooperation and emerging investment opportunities.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Bai Chong-En, Chair of the GAMF Executive Committee, explored how artificial intelligence and digital technology are transforming financial services and wealth management, highlighting key drivers of innovation in the sector.

The Shanghai AI-FI Laboratory, a research hub integrating AI with finance, was launched at the forum. The lab aims to address challenges in AI-driven financial services, promote technological innovation and speed up real-world applications, highlighting Shanghai's growing role as a leader in fintech.

In its sixth year, the forum has become a leading platform showcasing Jing'an's financial openness and innovation. In the first half of 2025, the district generated 28.817 billion yuan (US$ 4.05 billion) in financial services value, ranking among Shanghai's top districts.

Since the start of this year, several major financial and asset management firms have completed registrations or expansions in Jing'an. Private equity firms owned by VanEck Associates Corporation and True Light Capital have finalized their private fund manager registrations in the district.

China's third Sino-foreign joint wealth management company, Schroders BOCOM Wealth, and AllianceBernstein Fund, the fifth foreign-managed public fund approved nationwide, have each completed a new round of capital injections this year.

Jing'an has also become the headquarters of Guotai Haitong Securities, formed through the merger of Guotai Junan Securities and Haitong Securities. The deal, considered one of China's most complex A+H share restructuring cases, has propelled Guotai Haitong to the top of the domestic market in terms of total and net assets.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan, Jing'an aims to expand the forum's influence, strengthen its international and specialized financial ecosystem, and accelerate its development as a global asset management hub and digital finance benchmark.