HOME>WHO WE ARE>About IFF>Special Remarks

SPECIAL REMARKS

    • Kofi A. Annan

      U.N. Secretary-General (1997-2006)

    I am pleased to see that specific efforts are being made to identify good practices and projects that will help to advance societal progress.

    Kofi A. Annan

    • Ban Ki-moon

      8th U.N. Secretary-General

    I commend your valuable contributions to global policy dialogues. So the F20 Initiative, Reshaping the Essence of Finance, is very timely.

    Ban Ki-moon

    • António Guterres

      Secretary General of the United Nations

    As we look ahead, we must transform the international financial architecture to serve the needs of today so that it contributes to reducing inequalities, and restoring trust between developed countries and emerging economies. Together, we can meet this moment and build a sustainable, just and prosperous future.

    António Guterres

    • CHENG Siwei

      The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Chairman of IFF
      Former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China

    As an independent, international academic think-tank, IFF has witnessed the extraordinary ups and downs of the world's economy and finance over the past decade. As the world evolves, IFF has grown in influence and upgraded to the F20 (Finance 20) status. Ever since its inception, IFF has received support from over 200 global financial leaders, and established partnerships with over 30 countries and regions, more than 50 international and regional organizations.

    CHENG Siwei

    • Robert A. Mundell

      The 1st and 2nd Co-chairman of IFF
      Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics

    It is necessary for China to establish a long-term IFF. The rapid growth of the Chinese economy has become a focus point of the world, as the international capital flow is gradually turning its direction to China. The establishment of a high-profile dialogue platform will inject positive energy into China's financial reform and development and help to promote the international capital development. As well as a global high-level symposium with unique Chinese perspectives, the IFF will help us to explore more on a financial theme.

    Robert A. Mundell

    • Paul Volcker

      Founding Member and Honorary Chairman of IFF
      Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board

    The International Finance Forum is a very important platform for promoting international financial cooperation and development, and I hope I can complete this important mission.

    Paul Volcker

    • Han Seung-soo

      IFF Co-chairman
      Chair of the Council of Presidents of the UN’s General Assembly

    Therefore, we have to work hard to find innovations that can stimulate private funds to flow into green and climate projects for our safe and sustainable future.

    Han Seung-soo

    • Kevin Michael Rudd

      The 3rd Chairman and Co-chairman of IFF
      Former Prime Minister of Australia

    It's my great honor to be an IFF Co-chairman; I hope to make due contribution to the internationalization of IFF. As a high-end platform, IFF has close ties with financial, economic and political leaders, experts and scholars, and plays a key role in the direct financial diplomacy.

    Kevin Michael Rudd

    • Herman Van Rompuy

      IFF Co-Chairman
      President Emeritus of the European Council
      Former Prime Minister of Belgium

    Dialogue remains the only approach to settling disputes and developing relationships. In any case, both the EU and China want to maintain the multilateral framework, not only in words but also in deeds. The EU and China are both strongly committed to the most important issue for mankind: climate change.

    Herman Van Rompuy

    • José Manuel Durão Barroso

      IFF Co-Chairman
      Former Chairman of the European Commission
      Former Prime Minister of Portugal

    It was for me a pleasure to accept the invitation to join IFF as Co-chair. I have accepted it because I believe it's a very important international institution and an independent think-tank based here in China that offers a platform for open discussions on the very important topics of international finance and economy.

    José Manuel Durão Barroso

    • Shaukat Aziz

      Founding Member and Co-chairman of IFF
      Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

    We need to be truly connected, and we can transfer the experience we have learned here to other countries through the International Finance Forum.

    Shaukat Aziz

    • Jean-Claude Trichet

      Chairman of IFF Advisory Committee
      Former President of The European Central Bank

    New Capital, New Value, New World. And I have to say that such a dedication to the new global economy and global finance has never been so appropriate.

    Jean-Claude Trichet

    • Jenny Shipley

      IFF Co-chairman & Director of IFF Sustainable Development Committee
      36th Prime Minister of New Zealand

    It’s very clear that increasingly the banking sector and other finance instruments are able to work with industry leaders, governments and other investor requirements to achieve these outcomes.
    I hope that your leadership will have an impact on markets that wil allow green finance to become a reality globally.

    Jenny Shipley

    • Tony Blair

      Founding Member of IFF
      Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    On this occasion of the opening of the IFF, I want to sincerely wish all of the participants a very successful conference. In my time as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I gained a keen awareness of the value of the global economy and an understanding that now more than ever we are all interconnected. That is why I support events like this that offer the opportunity for individuals from across the globe to discuss issues that impact us all.

    Tony Blair

    • Jean Chrétien

      Founding Member of IFF
      Former Prime Minister of Canada

    It is my pleasure to welcome everyone in attendance at IFF. This forum addresses the financial challenges facing China as it expands its operations within the international community as a new WTO member, responding to an ever-changing, knowledge-based global economy. Participants will benefit from insights of officials and business leaders from around the world.

    Jean Chrétien

    • Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

      IFF Board Member
      Former President of the Philippines
      House Speaker of the Philippines
      Former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

    I favor globalization and free trade. But I have learned that not all countries are at the same stage of economic, political and social development, so the ideal of globalization and free trade might at times have to be tempered by realities that exist within individual countries. Each country must judge for itself how it is to respond to globalization, and at what pace.

    Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

    • Yukio Hatoyama

      IFF Advisory Committee Member
      Former Prime Minister of Japan
      President of East Asian Community Institute

    I have been proposing for East Asian Community, it is also my dream and I see similar idea at the IFF. We have to cooperate across the region to bring happiness to all people. Building such a region, such countries, is very important for our world, our planet. I hope that China will play a key role in this process.

    Yukio Hatoyama

    • LI Xi

      Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong Province

    Based in Guangzhou, the IFF will help the Guangdong Province better integrate into the international financial cooperation and push forward the reform and opening-up to a higher level. IFF will provide huge space for financial innovation and development, and create more opportunities for exchanges, cooperation and common development. Through the forum, we hope you will get to know Guangdong, and Guangdong is willing to cooperate with you sincerely for mutual benefit.

    LI Xi

    • ZHOU Xiaochuan

      IFF Chairman of General Assembly
      Former Vice Chairman of the CPPCC
      Former Governor of the People’s Bank of China

    Through the IFF platform, we make friends, exchange opinions, explore the challenges and opportunities the world faces and seek solutions for cooperation and development.

    ZHOU Xiaochuan

    • LI Guixian

      The 1st President of IFF
      Former State Councilor
      Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

    International Finance Forum (IFF) is a global high-level platform that brings together global financial leaders, senior government officials, world-renowned economists and financiers. It is also the top event in the international finance industry that unites international financial elites and promotes global financial exchanges, cooperation and development. The Forum is dedicated to promoting communication and dialogue between the government, the international financial community and enterprises, and promoting China's economic and financial development and global economic recovery. Each annual meeting has gained the close attention and unanimous recognition from the global financial community with profound and forward-looking themes, distinguished speakers and fruitful discussions.

    LI Guixian

    • Edmund Ho Hau-wah

      Vice Chairman of CPPCC National Committee
      Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region

    The International Finance Forum (IFF) has responded positively to the national strategy by building its permanent venue in the Greater Bay Area, and serving as one of the platforms for international exchanges and cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and for jointly building an international financial hub in the region. I applaud the efforts made by the IFF. In the post-epidemic era, the international community will have a greater need for platforms like the IFF to link each other and explore new paths for sustainable global development based on consensus.

    Edmund Ho Hau-wah

    • Leung Chun-ying

      Vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
      Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

    I am very happy to participate in the International Finance Forum to discuss the construction of the Worldwide bay areas, to provide new impetus for regional development, to promote new growth, and to create a new pattern.

    Leung Chun-ying

    • GU Shengzu

      Former IFF Vice President
      Former Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress of China

    The new globalization should insist on political consultation, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, innovation synergy and co-governance. It should promote the development of the world economy towards openness, inclusiveness, balance and win-win cooperation. The "Belt and Road" initiative was born in response to the trend of the times and the law of development. It is an important tool for the world to deal with counter-globalization, explore a new type of globalization and improve global governance.

    GU Shengzu

    • Christine Lagarde

      Former Managing Director of International Monetary Fund(IMF)
      President of the European Central Bank(ECB)

    The IFF has demonstrated its deep commitment to providing a platform for the international community to investigate the new globalization era.

    Christine Lagarde

    • Leo Melamed

      IFF Founding Member
      IFF Advisory Committee Member
      "Father of Financial Futures"
      Chairman Emeritus of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group)

    I notice that China's economy is undergoing a change of what President Xi Jinping called as the new normal. Under the change, China’s economic growth rate is shifting from high to medium-high speed, China’s economic structure optimizes and upgrades, and China’s economy is shifting from factor-driven and investment-driven to innovation-driven. I applaud it, and I think it's the right thing to do!

    Leo Melamed

    • Charles H. Dallara

      IFF Advisory Committee Member
      Executive Vice Chairman of Partners Group
      Former Managing Director, Institute of International Finance (IIF)

    At the IFF, we need to consider what kind of development is good for the current financial system. We hope to build up a more effective mechanism for global policy coordination.

    Charles H. Dallara

    • Jim Yong Kim

      Former President of World Bank

    Investing in public health preparedness is of great importance in promoting global financial stability and resilient economic growth. I have spent my career on global health issues and have been focusing on economic development, financial inclusion and global financial stability in the past decade. I hope we can all recognize that, without the broad participation of the F20, it will be even more difficult to overcome the immediate Newcastle pneumonia outbreak and prevent future pandemics.

    Jim Yong Kim

    • Kristalina Georgieva

      Managing Director of International Monetary Fund(IMF)

    The IFF and the IMF are connected by our global prospects and by fostering financial stability and sustainable growth.

    Kristalina Georgieva

    • JIN Liqun

      President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB)
      Former Executive Vice President of the IFF

    The IFF is such an important international forum to which I’m deeply attached.  Never have global governance and international cooperation been so important as they are today. The world has no choice but to work as one, if we have to overcome the immense challenges that confront us.

    JIN Liqun

    • Supachai Panitchpakdi

      Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Development and Trade, Former Director-general of World Trade Organization

    I am honored to have been invited to this important conference and participate in the valuable discussions to take place regarding the changes and impacts of the new global financial architecture, as I am sure they will be most enlightening and relevant to the work of UNCTAD. Thank you again for your invitation and a wish you a most successful conference.

    Supachai Panitchpakdi

    • Laurent Fabius

      IFF Board Member
      President of the Constitutional Council of the French Republic
      Former Prime Minister of France

    China, and all the friends present here, we must join forces to build a fair, balanced, sustainable and stable world.

    Laurent Fabius

    • John Waldron

      President of Goldman Sachs Group
      Co-Chair of the IFF Green Finance Working Group

    Greetings everyone and thank you all for joining us today to help launch our Green Finance Working Group.We cannot be prouder to be joining forces with the IFF and our other partners to bring this initiative to life.

    John Waldron

    • Xie Zhenhua

      China's Special Envoy for Climate Change

    The IFF has contributed a lot to green economic recovery and sustainable development.
    I'm sure the IFF will continue its efforts to fully exploit its influence in creating a new platform for international engagement and undoubtedly play a more significant role in promoting the global green and low-carbon transition and international cooperation in related fields.

    Xie Zhenhua

  • Kofi A. Annan

    U.N. Secretary-General (1997-2006)

    I am pleased to see that specific efforts are being made to identify good practices and projects that will help to advance societal progress.

    Kofi A. Annan

  • Ban Ki-moon

    8th U.N. Secretary-General

    I commend your valuable contributions to global policy dialogues. So the F20 Initiative, Reshaping the Essence of Finance, is very timely.

    Ban Ki-moon

  • António Guterres

    Secretary General of the United Nations

    As we look ahead, we must transform the international financial architecture to serve the needs of today so that it contributes to reducing inequalities, and restoring trust between developed countries and emerging economies. Together, we can meet this moment and build a sustainable, just and prosperous future.

    António Guterres

  • CHENG Siwei

    The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Chairman of IFF
    Former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China

    As an independent, international academic think-tank, IFF has witnessed the extraordinary ups and downs of the world's economy and finance over the past decade. As the world evolves, IFF has grown in influence and upgraded to the F20 (Finance 20) status. Ever since its inception, IFF has received support from over 200 global financial leaders, and established partnerships with over 30 countries and regions, more than 50 international and regional organizations.

    CHENG Siwei

  • Robert A. Mundell

    The 1st and 2nd Co-chairman of IFF
    Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics

    It is necessary for China to establish a long-term IFF. The rapid growth of the Chinese economy has become a focus point of the world, as the international capital flow is gradually turning its direction to China. The establishment of a high-profile dialogue platform will inject positive energy into China's financial reform and development and help to promote the international capital development. As well as a global high-level symposium with unique Chinese perspectives, the IFF will help us to explore more on a financial theme.

    Robert A. Mundell

  • Paul Volcker

    Founding Member and Honorary Chairman of IFF
    Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board

    The International Finance Forum is a very important platform for promoting international financial cooperation and development, and I hope I can complete this important mission.

    Paul Volcker

  • Han Seung-soo

    IFF Co-chairman
    Chair of the Council of Presidents of the UN’s General Assembly

    Therefore, we have to work hard to find innovations that can stimulate private funds to flow into green and climate projects for our safe and sustainable future.

    Han Seung-soo

  • Kevin Michael Rudd

    The 3rd Chairman and Co-chairman of IFF
    Former Prime Minister of Australia

    It's my great honor to be an IFF Co-chairman; I hope to make due contribution to the internationalization of IFF. As a high-end platform, IFF has close ties with financial, economic and political leaders, experts and scholars, and plays a key role in the direct financial diplomacy.

    Kevin Michael Rudd

  • Herman Van Rompuy

    IFF Co-Chairman
    President Emeritus of the European Council
    Former Prime Minister of Belgium

    Dialogue remains the only approach to settling disputes and developing relationships. In any case, both the EU and China want to maintain the multilateral framework, not only in words but also in deeds. The EU and China are both strongly committed to the most important issue for mankind: climate change.

    Herman Van Rompuy

  • José Manuel Durão Barroso

    IFF Co-Chairman
    Former Chairman of the European Commission
    Former Prime Minister of Portugal

    It was for me a pleasure to accept the invitation to join IFF as Co-chair. I have accepted it because I believe it's a very important international institution and an independent think-tank based here in China that offers a platform for open discussions on the very important topics of international finance and economy.

    José Manuel Durão Barroso

  • Shaukat Aziz

    Founding Member and Co-chairman of IFF
    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

    We need to be truly connected, and we can transfer the experience we have learned here to other countries through the International Finance Forum.

    Shaukat Aziz

  • Jean-Claude Trichet

    Chairman of IFF Advisory Committee
    Former President of The European Central Bank

    New Capital, New Value, New World. And I have to say that such a dedication to the new global economy and global finance has never been so appropriate.

    Jean-Claude Trichet

  • Jenny Shipley

    IFF Co-chairman & Director of IFF Sustainable Development Committee
    36th Prime Minister of New Zealand

    It’s very clear that increasingly the banking sector and other finance instruments are able to work with industry leaders, governments and other investor requirements to achieve these outcomes.
    I hope that your leadership will have an impact on markets that wil allow green finance to become a reality globally.

    Jenny Shipley

  • Tony Blair

    Founding Member of IFF
    Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    On this occasion of the opening of the IFF, I want to sincerely wish all of the participants a very successful conference. In my time as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I gained a keen awareness of the value of the global economy and an understanding that now more than ever we are all interconnected. That is why I support events like this that offer the opportunity for individuals from across the globe to discuss issues that impact us all.

    Tony Blair

  • Jean Chrétien

    Founding Member of IFF
    Former Prime Minister of Canada

    It is my pleasure to welcome everyone in attendance at IFF. This forum addresses the financial challenges facing China as it expands its operations within the international community as a new WTO member, responding to an ever-changing, knowledge-based global economy. Participants will benefit from insights of officials and business leaders from around the world.

    Jean Chrétien

  • Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

    IFF Board Member
    Former President of the Philippines
    House Speaker of the Philippines
    Former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

    I favor globalization and free trade. But I have learned that not all countries are at the same stage of economic, political and social development, so the ideal of globalization and free trade might at times have to be tempered by realities that exist within individual countries. Each country must judge for itself how it is to respond to globalization, and at what pace.

    Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

  • Yukio Hatoyama

    IFF Advisory Committee Member
    Former Prime Minister of Japan
    President of East Asian Community Institute

    I have been proposing for East Asian Community, it is also my dream and I see similar idea at the IFF. We have to cooperate across the region to bring happiness to all people. Building such a region, such countries, is very important for our world, our planet. I hope that China will play a key role in this process.

    Yukio Hatoyama

  • LI Xi

    Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong Province

    Based in Guangzhou, the IFF will help the Guangdong Province better integrate into the international financial cooperation and push forward the reform and opening-up to a higher level. IFF will provide huge space for financial innovation and development, and create more opportunities for exchanges, cooperation and common development. Through the forum, we hope you will get to know Guangdong, and Guangdong is willing to cooperate with you sincerely for mutual benefit.

    LI Xi

  • ZHOU Xiaochuan

    IFF Chairman of General Assembly
    Former Vice Chairman of the CPPCC
    Former Governor of the People’s Bank of China

    Through the IFF platform, we make friends, exchange opinions, explore the challenges and opportunities the world faces and seek solutions for cooperation and development.

    ZHOU Xiaochuan

  • LI Guixian

    The 1st President of IFF
    Former State Councilor
    Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

    International Finance Forum (IFF) is a global high-level platform that brings together global financial leaders, senior government officials, world-renowned economists and financiers. It is also the top event in the international finance industry that unites international financial elites and promotes global financial exchanges, cooperation and development. The Forum is dedicated to promoting communication and dialogue between the government, the international financial community and enterprises, and promoting China's economic and financial development and global economic recovery. Each annual meeting has gained the close attention and unanimous recognition from the global financial community with profound and forward-looking themes, distinguished speakers and fruitful discussions.

    LI Guixian

  • Edmund Ho Hau-wah

    Vice Chairman of CPPCC National Committee
    Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region

    The International Finance Forum (IFF) has responded positively to the national strategy by building its permanent venue in the Greater Bay Area, and serving as one of the platforms for international exchanges and cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and for jointly building an international financial hub in the region. I applaud the efforts made by the IFF. In the post-epidemic era, the international community will have a greater need for platforms like the IFF to link each other and explore new paths for sustainable global development based on consensus.

    Edmund Ho Hau-wah

  • Leung Chun-ying

    Vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
    Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

    I am very happy to participate in the International Finance Forum to discuss the construction of the Worldwide bay areas, to provide new impetus for regional development, to promote new growth, and to create a new pattern.

    Leung Chun-ying

  • GU Shengzu

    Former IFF Vice President
    Former Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress of China

    The new globalization should insist on political consultation, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, innovation synergy and co-governance. It should promote the development of the world economy towards openness, inclusiveness, balance and win-win cooperation. The "Belt and Road" initiative was born in response to the trend of the times and the law of development. It is an important tool for the world to deal with counter-globalization, explore a new type of globalization and improve global governance.

    GU Shengzu

  • Christine Lagarde

    Former Managing Director of International Monetary Fund(IMF)
    President of the European Central Bank(ECB)

    The IFF has demonstrated its deep commitment to providing a platform for the international community to investigate the new globalization era.

    Christine Lagarde

  • Leo Melamed

    IFF Founding Member
    IFF Advisory Committee Member
    "Father of Financial Futures"
    Chairman Emeritus of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group)

    I notice that China's economy is undergoing a change of what President Xi Jinping called as the new normal. Under the change, China’s economic growth rate is shifting from high to medium-high speed, China’s economic structure optimizes and upgrades, and China’s economy is shifting from factor-driven and investment-driven to innovation-driven. I applaud it, and I think it's the right thing to do!

    Leo Melamed

  • Charles H. Dallara

    IFF Advisory Committee Member
    Executive Vice Chairman of Partners Group
    Former Managing Director, Institute of International Finance (IIF)

    At the IFF, we need to consider what kind of development is good for the current financial system. We hope to build up a more effective mechanism for global policy coordination.

    Charles H. Dallara

  • Jim Yong Kim

    Former President of World Bank

    Investing in public health preparedness is of great importance in promoting global financial stability and resilient economic growth. I have spent my career on global health issues and have been focusing on economic development, financial inclusion and global financial stability in the past decade. I hope we can all recognize that, without the broad participation of the F20, it will be even more difficult to overcome the immediate Newcastle pneumonia outbreak and prevent future pandemics.

    Jim Yong Kim

  • Kristalina Georgieva

    Managing Director of International Monetary Fund(IMF)

    The IFF and the IMF are connected by our global prospects and by fostering financial stability and sustainable growth.

    Kristalina Georgieva

  • JIN Liqun

    President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB)
    Former Executive Vice President of the IFF

    The IFF is such an important international forum to which I’m deeply attached.  Never have global governance and international cooperation been so important as they are today. The world has no choice but to work as one, if we have to overcome the immense challenges that confront us.

    JIN Liqun

  • Supachai Panitchpakdi

    Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Development and Trade, Former Director-general of World Trade Organization

    I am honored to have been invited to this important conference and participate in the valuable discussions to take place regarding the changes and impacts of the new global financial architecture, as I am sure they will be most enlightening and relevant to the work of UNCTAD. Thank you again for your invitation and a wish you a most successful conference.

    Supachai Panitchpakdi

  • Laurent Fabius

    IFF Board Member
    President of the Constitutional Council of the French Republic
    Former Prime Minister of France

    China, and all the friends present here, we must join forces to build a fair, balanced, sustainable and stable world.

    Laurent Fabius

  • John Waldron

    President of Goldman Sachs Group
    Co-Chair of the IFF Green Finance Working Group

    Greetings everyone and thank you all for joining us today to help launch our Green Finance Working Group.We cannot be prouder to be joining forces with the IFF and our other partners to bring this initiative to life.

    John Waldron

  • Xie Zhenhua

    China's Special Envoy for Climate Change

    The IFF has contributed a lot to green economic recovery and sustainable development.
    I'm sure the IFF will continue its efforts to fully exploit its influence in creating a new platform for international engagement and undoubtedly play a more significant role in promoting the global green and low-carbon transition and international cooperation in related fields.

    Xie Zhenhua