Foreign banks have shared their views on the global macroeconomic environment and the performance of major asset classes. OCBC Bank recently offered its own perspective.
In April, during the season of spring flowers, OCBC China held an industry communication meeting in Shanghai titled &#34;Rowing Forward, Expanding Horizons for Growth.&#34; Hong Yongxiang, Chief Executive Officer of OCBC China, delivered his latest insights.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/dca2a9c1-46bc-4474-9f85-9c66433ef369.jpeg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://wpimg-wscn.awtmt.com/dca2a9c1-46bc-4474-9f85-9c66433ef369.jpeg"/>
Hong Yongxiang stated that the OCBC Group has recently officially launched a new development strategy named &#34;Next Frontier,&#34; clearly defining key growth areas and engines for the next phase.
It is reported that the &#34;Next Frontier&#34; strategy encompasses four core transformational steps:
Asia Transformation: Capitalizing on the growing opportunities in trade, investment, and financial flows across the Asian region;
Technology Transformation: Driving customer-centric strategies through Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Data (ADD), actively expanding business in the technology sector;
Business Transformation: Deepening operations in core markets to achieve long-term growth;
Net Zero Transformation: Continuously supporting green transition.
Hong Yongxiang noted that these strategies reflect the bank's deep insight into long-term trends and its determination to reshape its growth path and capability portfolio.
He further emphasized that for OCBC, China is not only a crucial market but also a core component of the group's regional strategy. We will continue to leverage the group's network advantages and professional expertise covering Asia, providing clients with efficient, professional, and seamless financial solutions through a &#34;One Group&#34; collaborative model, accompanying them in their long-term development on the path of regional layout and international expansion.
During the conference, Xie Dongming, Head of Macroeconomic Research at OCBC, delivered a keynote speech titled &#34;Global Macro: Key Thoughts for 2026.&#34; In his speech, Xie Dongming stated that due to the situation in the Middle East, global macroeconomic uncertainty for 2026 has risen significantly. However, he still believes that under the baseline scenario, the global economy overall possesses resilience.
Unless the Iran conflict lasts significantly longer than expected—a scenario that would force a downward revision of global economic growth forecasts—the outlook remains positive.
Looking ahead to 2026, Xie Dongming indicated that OCBC's macro framework will place greater emphasis on &#34;Risk Management.&#34; There are four risks worthy of close attention: First, the risk of global stagflation has risen significantly. Second, the disruptive impact of AI on business models and employment structures is emerging as a new source of uncertainty. Third, private credit risks warrant high attention. Fourth, liquidity risks are driving a revaluation of assets.
He also warned that these risks may not exist in isolation. Signs of &#34;mutual transmission and reinforcement&#34; have appeared. Therefore, 2026 is likely to be a typical &#34;Year of Risk Management.&#34; Investors need to guard not only against single risk events but also against systemic shocks resulting from the potential superposition of multiple risks.
Liu Yang, Deputy Managing Director of OCBC China and General Manager of Global Finance, delivered a keynote speech further analyzing recent changes in major global asset classes and their underlying macro logic. Liu Yang stated that amidst complex backgrounds of intensifying global geopolitical conflicts and fluctuating energy prices, volatility in major global asset classes has increased significantly since April, making asset allocation more focused on liquidity management and risk prevention.
He believes that in this round of shocks, traditional safe-haven assets have shown divergent performance. Only the Renminbi and the US Dollar, backed by liquidity advantages and solid economic fundamentals, have emerged as relatively stable &#34;safe havens.&#34; While the US economy retains short-term resilience, recurring inflation and a high-interest rate environment may delay the pace of monetary easing; however, the trend of interest rate cuts remains irreversible in the medium to long term. Meanwhile, the RMB exchange rate, adhering to a policy stance of &#34;prioritizing domestic conditions,&#34; has demonstrated strong resilience supported by export surpluses and policy tools.
Regarding gold, although short-term volatility has increased due to real interest rates and liquidity factors, the continued gold purchases by central banks globally will provide certain support for gold prices in the medium to long term.

This year sees both resilience and challenges for the global economy

- OCBC Bank recently hosted a conference in Shanghai discussing its views on the global macroeconomic landscape and asset performance.  
- The bank unveiled its "Next Frontier" strategy focusing on Asian transformation, technological advancements, business evolution, and supporting green initiatives.  
- Economists expect rising global macroeconomic uncertainties in 2026 due to geopolitical tensions, emphasizing a need for risk management amid fluctuating asset allocations and market dynamics.

OCBC Bank's Hong Yongxiang: The Frontiers of Banking Lie in Asia, Technology, and Green Energy