2024 World Investors Week – "Five Major Initiatives"

"World Investor Week" is a week-long global event organized by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), designed to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection, while highlighting initiatives and actions taken by securities regulators worldwide in these areas. The 2024 "World Investor Week" will take place from October 18 to October 25, with themes centered on "Technology and Digital Finance" and "Sustainable Finance." The event will focus on promoting and interpreting how capital markets are supporting the development of new, high-quality productivity models, as well as key reforms and significant policies related to finance's "five major initiatives."

The origin of the concept of "Five Major Articles"

At the Central Financial Work Conference held at the end of October 2023, "five major initiatives"—namely, developing science and technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance—were first proposed. On March 5, 2024, during the Government Work Report, which outlined the overall goals for economic and social development in 2024, it was emphasized that "we must vigorously promote science and technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance." This marked the first time the "five major initiatives" were officially included in the Government Work Report following the Central Financial Work Conference, placing them under the umbrella of monetary policy priorities. Since their introduction, the financial sector has placed great importance on these initiatives, actively driving their implementation to ensure that financial support contributes effectively to the high-quality development of the real economy.

The specific content of the "Five Major Articles"

I. Fintech

Tech-finance refers to leveraging technological innovation to drive the evolution and advancement of financial services, fostering a deep integration of finance and technology. Grounded in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data, tech-finance delivers comprehensive, full-lifecycle financial services tailored to tech enterprises, innovative projects, and industrial upgrades—through groundbreaking financial products, service models, and business processes. At its core, tech-finance harnesses technology to empower finance, enhancing both the efficiency and quality of financial services, reducing financing costs, and ultimately boosting technological innovation and industrial transformation.

II. Green Finance

Green finance refers to economic activities that support environmental improvement, tackle climate change, and promote the efficient and sustainable use of resources. Specifically, it encompasses financial services—including project investment and financing, operations, and risk management—in areas such as environmental protection, energy conservation, clean energy, green transportation, and green building. By channeling social capital toward green industries and projects, green finance drives the economy toward a greener, low-carbon, and circular development model. The implementation of green finance not only fosters sustainable economic growth and meets people's growing demand for a healthy ecological environment but also serves as a critical tool for addressing global climate change.

III. Inclusive Finance

Inclusive finance refers to providing appropriate and effective financial services—delivered at an affordable cost—to all segments and groups of society that have a need for such services, based on the principles of equal opportunity and commercial sustainability. At its core, inclusive finance focuses on enhancing the reach and accessibility of financial services, particularly for vulnerable groups like micro and small enterprises, farmers, and low-income urban residents. By offering convenient, efficient, and low-cost financial solutions, inclusive finance helps these groups improve their living and working conditions, ultimately fostering shared prosperity. The development of inclusive finance also plays a crucial role in addressing the uneven distribution of financial resources, thereby promoting social equity and inclusive growth.

4. Pension Finance

Pension finance refers to the comprehensive set of financial activities centered around the diverse retirement needs of society members, encompassing areas such as financial services for elderly care and financing for the pension industry. As population aging intensifies, pension finance has emerged as a key growth driver in the financial sector. By offering a wide range of pension-related financial products and services, it helps meet seniors' needs for wealth preservation and appreciation, healthy aging, and access to quality elderly care services. At the same time, the development of pension finance also plays a vital role in boosting the growth of the pension industry, injecting fresh momentum into economic expansion.

V. Digital Finance

Digital finance refers to a new financial model that leverages digital technologies—such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence—to drive innovation in financial services. By digitizing processes, digital finance enhances the efficiency and convenience of financial services, while simultaneously lowering barriers and costs, enabling more people to access high-quality financial solutions. The growth of digital finance not only transforms the traditional landscape of the financial industry but also fosters a deeper integration between the digital economy and finance, providing fresh momentum for high-quality economic development.