Guests from home and abroad attend a roundtable discussion at the Fintech Conference 2025 during the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum.

Integrating finance with technological innovation is crucial for building a modern industrial system, said Guo Lanfeng, president of the China Society of Economic Reform.

He underscored the necessity to enhance the multitiered capital market, streamline financing avenues for tech enterprises, and channel long-term, patient capital into key technological and emerging sectors.

Guo spoke during the entrepreneurs' roundtable at the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2025. The event, held on Oct 28, attracted participants from more than 10 countries and regions, including entrepreneurs, financiers, experts, scholars and government officials.

Guo's observations also resonated with the latest national policy orientation. The recently concluded fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee called for accelerating high-level technological self-reliance and strength to lead the development of new quality productive forces.

This directive provides fundamental guidance for enhancing technological innovation and sets higher expectations for the integration of science and finance.

In response to these policy directives, a series of initiatives have been launched, with financial institutions innovating products and services to foster a virtuous cycle of "technology-industry-finance".

Wang Xiaoyong, president of China Minsheng Bank, likened the relationship between technology and finance to a double helix, where both elements mutually enhance each other.

The rapid deployment of technologies like big data and artificial intelligence is driving the development of scenario-based and personalized financial services. Meanwhile, tech companies require diverse financial support throughout their life cycle, from startup to maturity, necessitating enhanced collaboration, Wang said.

Liu Hongyun, chairman of xFusion Digital Technologies, highlighted the tech innovation sector's potential for rapid growth and variability, with technology providing reliable support and positive impetus for financial evolution.

Wang Yongli, co-chairman of Digital China Information Service Group, pointed out the transformation in financial services is driven by technology, emphasizing the need to focus on AI and blockchain technologies.

He noted that blockchain, in particular, is reshaping the financial landscape and order, necessitating close attention, research, and enhanced regulation.

Huang Tao, chairman of Guomin Pension & Insurance, stressed that technological innovation is rapidly transforming the financial ecosystem and the delivery of products and services. To better serve the public, the insurance industry must leverage technological tools to address pension fund gaps, he said.

Wang Liping, vice-president of Lenovo Group, said that for companies to achieve high-quality international expansion, there must be financial collaboration to match, requiring comprehensive services like cross-border financing, settlement, and risk management.

Embodied intelligence, a cutting-edge area in the tech field, was a focal point of the roundtable. Li Chunzhi, deputy general manager of the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, said that the embodied intelligence industry is on the brink of commercial explosion.

The next three to five years are crucial for transitioning humanoid robots from demonstration to reliable commercial use, said Li.

Notably, the center's self-developed humanoid robot, Embodied Tiangong 2.0, made its debut as the opening host at the roundtable.

During the event, it participated in the launch ceremony of the joint initiative for promoting high-quality development of the real economy through finance and technology. The robot starred alongside representatives from 12 tech companies and financial institutions, showcasing the future integration of technology and industry.

Embodied Tiangong 2.0, with its industrial-grade load capacity and internationally leading energy efficiency metrics, has achieved several breakthroughs in practical applications. Since September, it has been operating at the Beijing Foton Cummins Engine plant, autonomously picking and transporting boxes on unmanned production lines.