The 18th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) opened in Hong Kong on Monday, gathering over 3,600 industry insiders from more than 50 countries and regions to discuss current challenges and explore potential new growth engines in a dramatically changing world.

The two-day forum, co-organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is themed "Powering the Next Growth Engine" and will look at how Hong Kong can further leverage its advantages as a major international financial center.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, Executive Deputy Director of the State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Zhou Ji, and Governor of the People's Bank of China Pan Gongsheng all delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.

Organizers have also invited over 100 political and business leaders, financial experts and well-known economists from all over the world to serve as guest speakers, sharing their insights on the latest trends.

The event includes more than 40 keynote speeches and features a series of special seminars, mainly focusing on business opportunities in emerging markets across the Chinese mainland, the ASEAN region and the Middle East, as well as exploring the development of financial markets and potential investment avenues.

Another integral part of the forum is its "deal-making" function, which looks to facilitate meetings between potential business partners and investors. Last year's edition saw over 700 meetings arranged between 480 project owners and over 270 investors across various sectors.