Internet Finance+ Beijing Summit

The traditional finance could not meet the needs of ever-increasing SMEs, and China is no exception. In March 2014, the words “internet finance” first ever appeared in the official report of Chinese government with the objective to drive entrepreneurships and spur employment. Soon it became a buzzword. The Internet Plus initiative (Internet+ hereafter), announced by Premier Li Keqiang at the parliamentary sessions in March 2015, aims to materialize the full potential of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in transforming the overall economy in the years to come. This opens up a wealth of opportunities for existing and new business to employ new technologies and models to do business differently.

The signal from the Chinese government reflects the demands for matching entrepreneurs with capital using internet finance. Policies are moving forward, such as the introduction of quick refinance system for start-ups, pilot platforms of equity crowdfunding, and internet finance services for small and micro enterprises and agriculture sector, etc. However, the economy wide uptake of this initiative requires the establishment of a robust Internet Finance ecosystem.

To this end, the First Chinese Internet Finance Forum was held on January 17th, 2015 in Shanghai, hosted by the Crowdfunding China Society and International Finance Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Group. It attracted the participation of more than 500 international and Chinese internet finance experts, leaders and SME entrepreneurs and discussed key concepts and mechanisms around Internet Finance in China. Following the Shanghai Forum, the Beijing Summit aims to achieve the following four objectives:

Objectives

To translate the government initiative into business opportunities for different players in the area of Internet Finance;
To share global knowledge and experience on how to build a robust Internet Finance+ Ecosystem;
To foster collaboration between Chinese and international organizations in formulating and implementing a strategy in building the ecosystem of Internet Finance+ in China