QINGDAO, China, Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On September 26, 2025, the 2025 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference took place at the Qingdao International Conference Center. Hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and co-organized by the Office of the Financial Affairs Commission of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee and the Qingdao Municipal Finance Bureau, the event — themed “Tech Empowerment • Open Inclusivity: New Financial Models and Emerging Trends” — was convened for the first time as a full-fledged financial summit, an upgrade from a venture-focused gathering. Over a hundred senior executives, industry leaders and scholars from top financial institutions and venture capital firms at home and abroad attended the event. Ren Gang, Deputy Secretary of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee and mayor of the city, was present.
Geng Tao, member of the Qingdao Municipal Standing Committee and vice mayor, said in his opening remarks that the conference, held annually since 2019, has become an important platform for exchange and cooperation. Qingdao is stepping up building a “10+1” innovation-industry system — spanning from next-generation information technologies, artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy to other emerging sectors — and is cultivating new forms of productive forces. He called on partners to join the effort, to deepen technological cooperation, and to invest vigorously into priority areas, especially into programs and startups in the earliest stage of growth, at a smaller scale, with a longer-term view and a focus on key technologies. He also pledged stronger policy support and continued efforts to improve business environment.
Wang Xinguo, Deputy Director at the Office of the Financial Affairs Commission of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Deputy Director of the Shandong Provincial Financial Regulatory Administration, noted that venture capital is a key driver of capital markets and an important channel for direct financing. Shandong will prioritize the growth of venture capital, work to build a hub for entrepreneurial and equity investment, support VC institutions in terms of access to external resources and capacity building, and foster local clusters and flagship venture investment brands.
Zhu Yu, a Level-1 inspector at the Department of Market Regulation II of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said the CSRC is working to improve the equity investment ecosystem for venture capital. On fundraising, the Commission seeks to explore new funding sources, support pilots for equity investment by Asset Investment Companies (AICs), and empower private fund managers to issue Sci-Tech innovation bonds; on investment, it’s introducing guidance for high-quality development of government investment funds and progressively implementing differentiated regulation; and on market exit, it is supporting the development of M&A funds and permitting listed companies to acquire qualifying high tech companies that have not yet turned a profit through share issuance.
Fruitful outcomes: Investment commitments of over RMB 45 billion and an insurance capital pilot
Two highlights at the event attracted wide attention. First is that it witnessed investment commitments of over RMB 45 billion, in forms of fund partnerships, district- and city-level programs, and central-local government collaborative initiatives. The Qingdao municipal government signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Postal Savings Bank of China, China Reform Holdings Corporation Ltd., HSBC Bank (China) Co., Ltd., and Bank of East Asia (China) Ltd. The Postal Savings Bank of China has pledged up to RMB 500 billion in indicative financing support for Qingdao during the cooperation period. Second, a pilot enabling insurance capital to participate in private securities investment funds, dubbed the Sunshine Hengyi (Qingdao) Private Fund Management Co., Ltd. was inaugurated, and it announced the establishment of a private securities investment fund amounting up to RMB 20 billion, making Qingdao the fifth city in China to host such a fund, a great addition to the city’s financial ecosystem.
Major initiative launched: Fund matrix amounting to RMB 300 billion and a three-year action plan
An “Action Plan to Leverage Funds’ Guiding Role to Promote High-Quality Development (2025–2027)” was released at the event. Under the plan, Qingdao will pool the resources of government guided funds to build a “3+N” framework — composed of venture capital funds, industrial investment funds and collaborative funds for key projects — and work to attract social capital to establish a fund matrix amounting up to at least RMB 300 billion. The plan has a set of clear phased targets, including to attract no less than RMB 15 billion in long-term and patient capital within three years, and to bring the scale of government-guided funds under active investment to RMB 150 billion by 2027.
White Paper deciphering emerging VC trends
The conference also featured the release of the “2025 China Venture Capital & Private Equity White Paper,” which takes stock of the sector today while looking into its future. According to the report, global venture capital in 2025 is expected to approach USD 440 billion, with generative artificial intelligence emerging as the most promising field. Specifically, intelligent and advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and big data, and biotechnology stand out as the most attractive target for investment. The white paper predicts that the future growth of the VC/PE industry in China will feature deeper vertical specialization, restructuring with global participation, and a decent ecosystem.
Thought leaders discussing frontier issues
The event brings together thought leaders in the financial community to speak and contribute their wisdom to China’s financial development. Among them are Huang Qifan, former mayor of Chongqing; Tu Guangshao, former president of China Investment Corporation (CIC); Yin Yanlin, former Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission; Chen Wenhui, former Vice Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC); and Li Lihui, former President of the Bank of China.
The speakers explored frontier topics such as venture capital development, the growth and intelligent transformation of China’s financial sector, and high-quality development of equity investment funds, offering high-value insights guiding the future growth of the industry.
Among them, Yin Yanlin provided five policy recommendations to advance China’s financial modernization and prowess. First, boost market- and rule-of-law-based collaborative innovation between finance and technology; second, deepen reforms of financial institutions and the regulatory framework to accommodate new trends; third, open up wider to enhance international competitiveness and foster influence over rule-making; fourth, foster deeper integration among different financial business models and between finance and the real economy; and fifth, prevent risks, protect data security, improve regulation of new business models, and balance innovation with safety.
The one-day conference was very compact, with one plenary forum and a total of five parallel forums focusing on the most pressing and important topics of the day, which included financial openness and new investment opportunities; ESG financial reform and green finance innovation; finance and technology amid AI-driven transformation; mergers & acquisitions, corporate restructuring and capital market opportunities; and the new monetary landscape amid global industrial restructuring. The event provided a comprehensive analysis of financial trends and an efficient platform for exchange and cooperation. It also featured roadshows from ten programs which connected tech startups with investors.
More than a major gathering for the investment community, the conference serves as a strategic window to show Qingdao’s financial strengths and explore global resources. With the launch of the major fund matrix, the private fund pilot for insurance capital participation and the signing of 20 key cooperative projects, Qingdao’s venture capital ecosystem is set for a comprehensive upgrade. The city is expected to attract greater volumes of long-term capital and high-quality projects, injecting sustained and robust financial momentum into economic restructuring and high-quality industrial growth.
Officials from the CSRC, the Financial Affairs Commission of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, and Qingdao municipal leaders including Geng Tao, Li Hongbing and Cui Zuo, attended the conference.
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SOURCE 2025 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference
