China Finance 40 Forum: Independence, Insight, Influence

Founded in 2008, China Finance 40 Forum (CF40) is a leading non-profit and independent think tank focused on China's financial reform and macroeconomic policy research. The "40" refers to the 40 members of China's financial elites around 40 years old who constitute the core of the Forum's membership and activities.

The strength of its membership and independent status put CF40 in a unique position to accurately identify economic trends, perform solid analysis, and put forward well-grounded policy proposals. CF40 members are leading experts from policymaking and regulatory agencies including the People's Bank of China, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and China Securities Regulatory Commission, large financial institutions, and the most respected universities and research institutions. Much of CF40's unparalleled contribution to China's finance research is made possible by bringing together members from each of these groups for high-level research and dialogue that combines theoretical depth and policy pragmatism.

Under the CF40 umbrella are two think tank series: the CF40 series and the New Finance series.

Within the CF40 series, the CF40 Education Development Foundation and the CF40 Finance Institute were established in 2016 in Qingdao, Shandong Province. In 2016, CF40 also launched the Silk Road Planning and Research Center with the China Development Bank, Tsinghua University, the Silk Road Fund, and the China Association for the Promotion of Development Financing.

Within the New Finance series, CF40 set up the Shanghai Finance Institute (SFI) in July 2011, and the Northern Finance Institute (NFI) in Tianjin in 2016. Also in 2016, the SFI founded the Shanghai Pu Shan New Finance Development Foundation (Pushan Foundation). And in October 2015, the Institute of Digital Finance (IDF) was launched at Peking University.

Quality Events, Research and Publications

CF40 is renowned in China for its biweekly closed-door seminars at which decision makers debate on the most pressing economic and financial issues facing China and the world.

Since 2012, CF40 has forged stable and productive partnerships with internationally renowned think tanks, key international organizations and macroeconomic management agencies of major economies. CF40 and the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) have organized annual exchange programs for eight years. It also maintains active cooperation with the Brookings Institution, the Euro50 Group, the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), and the Nomura Research Institute (NRI). Since 2018, CF40 and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have established a regular exchange mechanism revolving around Fintech among other fields. In addition, CF40 conducts regular exchange with global leaders and world-class economists including Robert Rubin, Henry Paulson, Timothy Geithner, Kristalina Georgieva, Jerome Powell, and Joseph Stiglitz, etc.

Every year CF40 conducts over 30 research projects covering a wide range of key policy issues in macro economy, international finance, financial regulation, wealth management and Fintech. Building on its research, CF40 produces more than 100 publications each year, including weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual research reports, as well as policy briefs and books. The research findings are submitted to China's top policymakers on a regular basis and have received high acclaim from the policy circle and financial industry.