Updated: 2007-11-27 11:26

Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and Cavendish Group International held a press conference today in Beijing, jointly declaring that BFA International Capital Conference is going to be held in London, UK from June 3rd to June 5th, 2008.

According to Mr. Long Yongtu, Secretary-General of BFA, “BFA International Capital Conference” to be held in London next year is the first large-scale international conference ever held by BFA outside Asia. Cavendish Group International, co-host of the Conference, is a leading British media and event company. London was selected to host the Conference because Britain is not only the largest European investor in China, but also China’s third largest trade partner and the fourth largest export country in the world. The NASDAQ Stock Exchange, established exclusively for electronic trading, has in recent years become mature and turned to large companies for listing. In addition, the United States of America has formulated and issued stricter regulations. As a result, many international enterprises have diverted their attention to London Stock Exchange which has a suitable entrance threshold and a flexible regulatory system. The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange has in recent years attracted attention from global investors and listing companies.

According to Secretary-General Long Yongtu, the primary topics in the agenda of this Conference include: 1) analysis of the global economic trend and prospect of the international capital market; 2) trans-national merger and acquisition practices and case analysis and 3) the development status quo of emerging markets and investment analysis. To support the Chinese Government’s internationalization strategy, Secretary-General Long especially points out, the Conference will have an in-depth discussion on how Chinese enterprises can take advantage of London capital market for investment and capital raising. The conference will also provide participant enterprises with an opportunity to talk with targeted European enterprises on a face-to-face and one-on-one basis.

The Organizing Committee of the Conference is actively inviting personages from the relevant organs of the Central Government of UK, the Municipal Government of London and well known global financial institutions based in London to give presentations at the Conference. In particular, it will invite Mr. Alan Greenspan，former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of the United States and Senior Adviser to the British Government, ministers and economic advisers of British Finance Ministry, the World Bank President and the WTO Director-General to give speeches on the global macro-economic situation at the Conference. Official bodies including UK Trade & Investment, London Development Authority, Think London and other official bodies will be invited to introduce investment environment and opportunities for regional economy. Senior management of well-known investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase，UBS and HSBC，as well as such top-class European funds as Blackstone，Gartmore and Neptune will be invited to speak on cross-national merger and acquisition operation practices, case studies and investment and financing analysis.

Mr. Long Yongtu emphasizes that “this International Investment Conference will prove to be a grand feast tailor-designed for Chinese enterprises.” The topics to be discussed at the Conference will cover both authoritative views and analysis of prestigious personages from the economic circles on the overall macro-economy for participating enterprises, and the specific practices of businesses in operation. The Organizing Committee of the Conference will arrange for the participating enterprises to visit London Stock Exchange and the City of London. Chinese enterprises are expected, by taking part in this International Capital Conference, to absorb the experience and lessons from global capital market development so as to deal with new issues increasingly emerging domestically from the multi-tier capital market development in China.

His Excellency Mr William Ehrman, British Ambassador to China, was present at the press conference today and made introductory remarks, welcoming the declaration that the event is to be hosted in London.