The 2025 Financial Street Forum — Fintech Conference is now taking place in Beijing. During the event, the session “Global Fintech Center Network Annual Meeting: Smart Finance in the Age of AI” drew global experts together. They exchanged ideas and explored how AI is transforming finance.
Zhou Jingxiao, Party Secretary of Beijing Returned Overseas Chinese Federation opened the discussion. He said we are entering a new era where technology and finance deeply merge. Moreover, he stressed that digital intelligence now drives financial transformation. It also powers economic growth and builds new global advantages.
Zhou added that Beijing plays a vital role in this change. As both a national financial hub and an innovation center, the city holds clear strengths. It gathers top scientific talent and strong financial resources. It also maintains broad international ties. “By using overseas Chinese as a bridge,” he said, “Beijing can better connect China with the world.”
Meanwhile, Cui Zhisheng, Deputy Head of Xicheng District, highlighted the need for global cooperation. He explained that sustainable fintech growth requires joint effort. Furthermore, he introduced the district’s “3C” mindset — Confidence, Courage, and Contribution. With this approach, Xicheng plans to partner with global entrepreneurs and scholars. Together, they will explore new trends, share insights, and open fresh opportunities. Through dialogue and collaboration, they aim to build an open, inclusive, and win-win fintech ecosystem.
Later, Ben Shenglin, Dean of the Beijing Frontier Institute of Regulation and Supervision Technology, released the report “Global Fintech Center Cities 2025.” The report shows that competition in global fintech is intensifying. The Top 10 fintech cities are Beijing, San Francisco, New York, London, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris. Notably, Hong Kong rose one place from last year. Meanwhile, Paris entered the Top 10 for the first time, replacing Sydney as Europe’s leading fintech hub.
Next, Fan Wenzhong, Vice President of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, gave a keynote speech. He said we now live in a time of technological leaps. Big data, blockchain, and AI, he noted, define this new era. He then outlined three major trends in smart finance – payments, financing, and investment. In his view, the key lies in shifting from “a decision-maker to AI” to “a manager to AI.” That change, he said, will speed up the digital transformation of finance.
Afterward, Tang Jiacai, CIO of Industrial Bank, shared his bank’s digital journey. He said the bank is moving from a “branch-based” model to a “digital-first” one. Its “1+5+N” strategy builds mobile platforms, scene-based ecosystems, and stronger data governance. At the same time, it invests in computing power to support smarter systems. Through its “AI+” initiative, the bank now applies AI throughout its operations. By 2026, it aims to cover 10% of key business processes with AI.
Written by Yi Shen, additional reporting by Ecns.
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