The eighth Hong Kong-Switzerland Financial Dialogue, co-organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the State Secretariat for International Finance SIF, was held in Bern, Switzerland on 29 January, strengthening ties between two of the world’s leading financial centres.

Following the Dialogue, a financial seminar co-hosted by the Private Wealth Management Association (PWMA) in collaboration with the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) successfully took place on the same day. The Hong Kong Swiss Financial Seminar (“Seminar”) is a closed-door round table that brings together senior representatives from the public and private sectors to exchange views on the latest financial trends and developments in Hong Kong and Switzerland.

This year, the Seminar focused on three key themes: the use of AI in banking, advancements in virtual assets and cross‑border CBDC initiatives, and Hong Kong’s role as a connector to global wealth. Participants discussed the importance of well‑governed AI adoption, the need for interoperable digital asset and tokenization infrastructures, and opportunities to expand and enhance existing Connect Schemes linking international investors with Chinese Mainland through Hong Kong.

The Seminar featured a distinguished panel of speakers including Mr Darryl Chan, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Mr Christoph König, Deputy State Secretary of the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) under the Federal Department of Finance of Switzerland, Ms Vivien Khoo, CEO and Managing Director of PWMA, Mr Urs Arbter, CEO of the Swiss Insurance Association SIA, and Ms Vanessa Dubra, Head of International at SBA.

In the seminar, our CEO Vivien Khoo pointed to the growing alignment between Hong Kong and Switzerland in promoting innovation, regulatory transparency, and cross‑market cooperation. She highlighted that stronger mutual recognition frameworks and deeper collaboration could enhance access, reduce operational complexity, and support the continued development of Hong Kong as a leading international wealth management centre.

Amy Lo, Chairman, PWMA Executive Committee, said, “The Hong Kong Swiss Financial Seminar reflects the close partnership between Hong Kong and Switzerland as well as our shared commitment to the sustainable growth and development of the private wealth management industry. We sincerely appreciate the continued support of the HKMA, SIF and SBA, and look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.”

PWMA looks forward to ongoing engagement with Swiss stakeholders to advance shared objectives supporting global wealth connectivity and financial innovation.