During its 25th «Greater China Conference», APAC president Iqbal Khan spoke about various matters in his opening speech, including the 75-year relationship between Switzerland and China.
UBS is hosting the 25th «Greater China Conference» in Shanghai on January 13 and 14 with 3,000 participants attending the event. During his welcome address, Asia Pacific president Iqbal Khan spoke about the conference’s theme: «25 Years of Partnership: Crafting the Future».
«As many of you know, we have a long history here – going back well beyond 25 years,» Khan said in the speech. «In 1964, we were the first Swiss bank to establish a presence in Asia Pacific. And since 1985, we have been providing corporate finance advice to Chinese enterprises.»
75th Anniversary
Khan highlighted that 2025 marked the 75th anniversary of Swiss-China relations.
«Our countries may be very different in terms of size and history, but we share many important values – above all, a strong sense of entrepreneurship bolstered by innovation,» he remarked.
«Switzerland was among the first nations to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950. And since 2010, China has been Switzerland's biggest trading partner in Asia and third largest globally after the EU and the United States. This year will be all about celebrating our partnership and finding ways to increase our joint efforts.»
Business Plans
On its onshore business in China, the bank will look to shift its ownership in UBS Securities from 67 percent to 100 percent «in the coming months». It will enhance its partnership with ICBC by exploring strategic collaborations in asset management, wealth management, investment and corporate banking across mainland China, cross-border and overseas markets.
«In China, we aim to leverage our multiple licenses and platforms to further enhance our leadership position held by the investment bank and expand our wealth and asset management businesses,» Khan said. «Across the firm, we will work to bring capabilities from our different divisions together – so clients can better access them and receive the full scope of what our firm can do.»
Smooth Sailing Not Expected
However, the bank does not expect «completely smooth sailing ahead». Khan underlined challenges such as volatility in China due to concerns about government debt levels, inflation and rate expectations. Externally, there are ongoing wars, geopolitical tensions and political changes in the US. China's GDP growth is forecasted to slow under the assumption of US tariff hikes on Chinese exports.
«Already, China’s annual Central Economic Work Conference prioritized stabilizing growth and emphasized boosting domestic demand with more proactive macro policies,» he noted.
«That said, much remains uncertain, such as: plans to bring forward special local government bond quotas again; a potential sustaining of trade-in subsidies; and the growth target and policy stimulus package expected to be unveiled by the National People's Congress in March.»
Conference Agenda
In the two-day conference, UBS will cover various topics including China’s economic landscape and policy outlook; the growth potential of key sectors like semiconductors, gold and property; and the forces shaping the future of technology and global business. The bank will also be joined by Olympic table tennis gold medallist Fan Zhendong to share insights about his accomplishments.
«Before I close, I want to emphasize that there may still be uncertainty in the coming year. But one thing we can all be sure of is this: UBS is committed to China and the Asia Pacific region,» Khan added. «Continuing to strengthen our position here is an important strategic priority for us. We have high expectations and even higher ambitions for China and Asia Pacific. And I am confident that we can deliver on them, for the benefit of our clients.»
