RMB Forum Tackling the Questions on China's Currency

Nicolas Mackel, CEO, Luxembourg for Finance

Chief Representative, The People’s Bank of China, Frankfurt (invited)

HE Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance, Luxembourg

China’s economy is proving more resilient than many Western commentators thought. The Yuan devaluates in a controlled manner and GDP growth is still outstanding. Beijing has started to tackle the challenges at the heart of the economic transformation of China’s economy. Where are we in this process and what reforms can we expect for Xi Jinping’s second mandate?

Moderator: Yanqing Yang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Yicai Media Group, Shanghai

Experts:
Christopher Balding, Associate professor, HSBC Business School of Peking University Graduate School, Shenzhen
Margit Molnar, Head of China Desk, OECD Economics Department, Paris
Leonard Xingrong Zhang, Managing Director, Institute of International Finance, Bank of China Head Office, Beijing

Past turbulences in China’s capital markets and lowered growth expectations have turned some investors away from China while others continue to believe in its long-term promise. Global trends towards protectionism and an overall uncertain economic environment demand for risk diversification. What are the general trends among global investors with regard to China’s capital markets and what factors are driving their decisions?

Moderator: James Kynge, Emerging Markets Editor, Financial Times, London (tbc)

Experts:
Jane Jiang, Partner, Head of PRC Regulatory group, Allen & Overy, Beijing
Fiona Leung, Senior China Specialist Product Manager, Standard Chartered, London
Fangyu Liu, Senior Manager, Agent Trading, Global Market Department, ICBC, Beijing
Caroline Owen, CEO and Founder of RMB Global Advisors, New York

China’s President has put himself in the position of defender-in-chief of globalisation. China and Europe have common interests in a free-trade agenda. How will this play out in the area of financial services? How will Brexit impact the flow of investments between China and the EU?

Moderator: Jonathan Ford, City Editor, Financial Times, London

Experts:
Laura Cha, Member of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong
Olivier Guersent, Director General, European Commission, Brussels
Paola Subacchi, Director of International Economics Research, Chatham House, London
Denise Voss, Chairman, Association of Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), Luxembourg

Solving environmental challenges is one of China’s main concerns and hence the country has set up huge financing capabilities in order to deal with these issues. At the global stage the countryhas joined in the battle to mitigate climate change effects and looking for ways to implement multilateral policies. It is now planning to launch a national carbon-trading scheme that will dwarf the European one.

Moderator: Bob Currie, Editorial Director, Financial Services Research, London

Experts:
Karine Hirn, Partner, East Capital, Hong Kong
Aldo Romani, Deputy Head of Funding, Euro, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
Robert Scharfe, CEO, Luxembourg Stock Exchange
Yao Wang, Professor and Director General, International Institute of Green Finance, Beijing

Zennon Kapron, Founder, Kapronasia, Shanghai

The explosion of mobile payments in China goes along with the country’s fast growing e-commerce sector. Within five years, the sale of online money market funds has increased a hundredfold. The increase in payments outnumbers European payments by far. Are there lessons to be learned from China’s experience? With Chinese going more and more abroad, how can payments in Europe be facilitated?

Moderator: Nasir Zubairi, CEO, Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT)

Experts:
Patrick Hess, Senior Market Infrastructure Expert, European Central Bank, Frankfurt
Rita Liu, Head of Alipay EMEA, Alipay, London
Ning Wang, Chief Business Officer, PingPong Financial, San Francisco
Ada Xiao, Chief Strategy Officer, Juzhen Financials, Shanghai

Over the course of the last years China has opened up its domestic market for foreign investors. While this process started cautiously and only a few players were granted this opportunity at the start, the initial restrictions decreased over time and the channels also multiplied. Where do we stand when it comes to the RQFII, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and other schemes?

Moderator: Stéphane Karolczuk, Partner, Head of Hong Kong Office, Arendt & Medernach

Experts:
Chris Edge, Managing Director, PwC, Luxembourg
Gast Juncker, Partner, Elvinger Hoss, Luxembourg
Andrew Malcolm, Partner, Head of Capital Markets Asia, Linklaters, Hong Kong
Marc Robert-Nicoud, CEO Clearstream Holding Frankfurt and Clearstream International Luxembourg

Nicolas MACKEL, CEO, Luxembourg for Finance