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Investment bankers at China International Capital Corp. are pledging their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party amid reshaped the business and cultural landscape in China. Prof. Zhiwu Chen, a chair professor in finance at HKU Business School, said, “There has been a political redefinition of finance.” He added, “The future of CICC is that there’s no more CICC in a few years’ time”.

Physical bank branches and ATMs have seen their numbers dwindling as the public embraces e-payment platforms and financial institutions cut costs. Chen Zhiwu, chair professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, said, “The banks have found it unnecessary to add branches as they reduce costs.” A refocus on mobile payments among other online transactions, he said, “has in effect served to reduce face-to-face services at banks”.

通過量化歷史資料，我們可以看到整個中國社會大致的發展趨勢和不同時期主要發展的主旋律。

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, commented, "In China, government policy is always crucial for private companies, both on their way up and now on their way down. Now, many private businesspeople understand that both economic and political reforms have to go hand in hand; without one, the other cannot sustain in the long run."

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, believes that Hong Kong's geopolitical neutrality is a favourable factor, "China can still rely on Hong Kong as the intermediary." In 2022, 72.56% of China's offshore investment came from Hong Kong. Prof. Zhenhua Mao, Professor of Practice at HKU Business School, highlighted Hong Kong's English-speaking environment and common law system are the city’s unique advantages in attracting foreign investment to China. However, he added that more research is needed on the challenges faced by venture capital and private equity firms investing in the country.

Geopolitical risks have prompted Asian family offices to switch their investment focus. “Many billionaires have moved their family offices to Hong Kong, so they can manage their investments globally," said Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School. The number of family offices in Hong Kong has surged to more than 2,700, which is nearly 2.5 times more than Singapore.

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, acknowledges this long-standing shift, stating, "This has been going on for at least about 8-10 years," referring to an industrial policy factoring in "war preparation."

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, emphasises that the key concern is to maintain confidence in the market. While political measures to boost the economy may be well-intentioned, their effectiveness can vary depending on the specific context, economic conditions, and implementation.

Prof. Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, commented that gold represented the only safe asset for Chinese consumers to protect their wealth against domestic inflation, asset price declines, as well as uncertainties in the global landscape.