The 18th seminar in the Finance Seminar Series of the City University of Macau was held on February 20, 2025, at the Ho Yin Conference Center on the Taipa campus. The seminar featured Ms. Ranya Duan, General Manager of the Product Development Center at Chongwa (Macao) Financial Asset Exchange Co., Ltd. (MOX), as the speaker. The theme of the seminar was "Development of Macau Bond Market and Related Reflections". Attendees included Associate Dean Khong Yueng Wah Eva of the Faculty of Finance.

The seminar began with an analysis of the global bond market situation in the fourth quarter of 2024. Ms. Duan discussed the challenges and opportunities in the current market environment. She noted that despite global economic pressures such as inflation and macroeconomic volatility, the Macau bond market has shown strong growth potential, driven by both policy support and market demand. She emphasized that Macau, as a bridge for financial cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, holds a unique geographical advantage. In the future, Macau is expected to see more innovative opportunities in areas such as green finance, sustainable development bonds, and digital bonds.

Ms. Duan also shared MOX's market performance in 2024, highlighting that by the end of the year, the total scale of bonds issued and listed on MOX had reached MOP 820 billion, with green bonds accounting for MOP 144.7 billion, representing a significant increase in proportion. She mentioned that over 70% of investors believe that green finance and sustainable development bonds will become mainstream in the future, especially as Macau has made significant progress in aligning its green finance standards with international norms.

Regarding digital bonds and fintech, Ms. Duan emphasized that MOX successfully launched the world's first public offering of a corporate digital bond in 2024, marking a breakthrough in financial technology innovation for Macau. She explained that digital bonds, through blockchain technology, enable full transparency in the issuance, trading, and settlement processes, significantly improving market efficiency and investor confidence. In the future, MOX will continue to promote the development of digital bonds and explore more possibilities for fintech applications.

During the interactive session of the seminar, students actively engaged, raising thoughtful and insightful questions. Ms. Duan shared her career experiences in the financial industry and encouraged students to actively participate in the construction and innovation of Macau's financial market. The staffs and students of the Faculty of Finance expressed their sincere gratitude to Ms. Duan for her insightful presentation, noting that the seminar provided them with a deeper understanding of the development and future trends of the Macau bond market. This seminar not only opened new perspectives for future financial talents but also inspired students and faculty to think about how to strengthen their professional capabilities in an ever-evolving financial environment.