Mr. Chen Zhiying, Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, Held Cordial Talks with Mr. Marcellus Wong, Vice Chairman of AMTD Group

The 2019 "Understanding China" Guangzhou International Conference was solemnly opened in Guangzhou on October 26th. Mr. Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (“CPC”) Central Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department of the CPC central Committee, attended the opening ceremony, read President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter and delivered the opening speech. Under the invitation of the Guangzhou municipal government, the Vice Chairman at AMTD Group Mr. Marcellus Wong, entrusted by AMTD Group Chairman Mr. Calvin Choi to attend the conference, was warmly welcomed by Guangzhou municipal leaders represented by Mr. Chen Zhiying, who serves as a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Executive Vice Mayor of Guangzhou. The two parties exchanged in-depth insights on strategic cooperation.

Mr. Chen Zhiying, Executive Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, extended the warm welcome to AMTD Group on behalf of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC. Mr. Marcellus Wong, Vice Chairman of AMTD Group, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Mr. Chen Zhiying for their long-term care and support for AMTD Group. Mr. Marcellus Wong said that, as a Hong Kong local enterprise, AMTD's development has benefited from the prosperity of the motherland and the innovation and construction of the Greater Bay Area. After nearly 20 years of development, transformation and upgrading, AMTD Group has gradually developed into a leading financial institution in Hong Kong with a full license and industry coverage, and continue to build a diversified business model, becoming a conglomerate with businesses in commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, risk solutions, strategic investment, real estate and education services. In August, the AMTD International (NYSE: HKIB), a subsidiary investment bank of AMTD Group, was successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of US$2 billion. As the first Hong Kong financial institution listed on the New York Stock Exchange in the United States, AMTD International has become one of the top 5 independent investment banks listed in the United States in terms of market capitalization, as well as the largest private independent investment bank in Asia. Mr. Marcellus Wong further said that as a part of the Greater Bay Area, AMTD Group has been actively engaged in the development and construction of the Greater Bay Area and has closely served the high-quality enterprises in the Greater Bay Area. Moreover, Marcellus Wong hopes that AMTD will continue to explore more development opportunities in the Greater Bay Area in the future, participate in and practice the development planning outline of the Greater Bay Area in depth, thus contributing to the development and construction of the Greater Bay Area.

The Executive Vice Mayor, Mr. Chen Zhiying, not only recognized the brilliant achievements of AMTD in recent years and warmly welcomed AMTD's investment in Guangzhou to develop its business, but also gave strong recognition and support to AMTD's investment layout in the Greater Bay Area, especially in Guangzhou. Mr. Chen Zhiying fondly recalled the World Economic Forum Davos Annual Meeting earlier this year when he jointly officiated at the "Greater Bay Area Night" with AMTD Group Chairman Mr. Calvin Choi and witnessed the establishment of the "Greater Bay Area Young Entrepreneurs Association". In the meantime, Mr. Chen Zhiying sincerely hoped AMTD Group to further play as a leading exemplary and grasp the opportunity of the times in the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to continuously expand its investment layout in Guangzhou and even the Greater Bay Area, and further lead and encourage more Hong Kong innovative start-ups to settle in Guangzhou. To facilitate this matter, Mr. Chen Zhiying also requested the relevant departments to give their utmost cooperation and support.

In addition, AMTD Group has established profound cooperation with Guangzhou city. During the 2019 World Economic Forum Davos Annual Meeting, the "Greater Bay Area Night" and "Greater Bay Area Youth Entrepreneur Day" hosted by AMTD Group were successfully held. Important leaders, including Mrs. Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr. Wen Guohui, the Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr. Chen Zhiying, the member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, led the Hong Kong and Guangdong delegations to the ceremony, respectively. Similarly, Mr. Ren Xuefeng, the Deputy Secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee, former Deputy Secretary of Guangdong Provincial Committee and Secretary of Guangzhou Municipal Committee, and Mr. Dai Dongchang, the Deputy Minister of China Ministry of Transport, also attended the ceremony. This is the first time in nearly 50 years that the Davos Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum has been held with the theme of "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area". The leaders from these two most representative cities in the Great Bay Area, serving at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guangzhou Municipal Government, delivered speeches to introduce the development opportunities and brilliant achievements of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China to the world. Moreover, the leading comrades at all levels, including Mr. Ma Xingrui, Deputy Secretary and Governor of Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr. Wen Guohui, Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr. Chen Jianhua, Director of the Standing Committee of Guangzhou National People's Congress and the former Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Chen Zhiying, member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, Mrs. Xu Yonghong, the member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Popaganda Mnister of Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr. Cai Chaolin, member of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Secretary of Nansha District Committee, and Mr. Chen Jie, Secretary General of Guangzhou Municipal Government, etc., have met with AMTD Group Chairman Mr. Calvin Choi and AMTD management team on many occasions, exchanging in-depth views on AMTD's future strategic development and cooperation with Guangzhou City as well as investment layout in the Great Bay Area.

Participants in the meeting also included Mr. Qiu Yitong, Director of Guangzhou Local Financial Supervision Bureau, Mr. Wu Shangwei, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and Mr. Wayne Liu, AMTD President Special Assistant.