(Yicai Global) Jan. 16 -- Alibaba Group Holding and its affiliate Ant Financial, operator of Alipay, plan to make Shanghai the permanent host of its new industry-leading Inclusion Fintech Conference as the eastern metropolis aims to turn itself into a financial technology hub.

The first event will run for three days on the Bund starting April 23 this year, Ant said in a statement yesterday. It will feature a main forum, 16 themed summits and more than 70 sub-forums alongside fintech exhibitions, science and technology-based music festivals and speedboat racing. 

Hangzhou-based Ant expects the maiden conference to welcome between 20,000 and 30,000 attendees from around the world, making it one of the world's biggest events in the fintech sector. The keynotes and panels will cover a range of topics, including the global digital economy, digital finance, innovation, commerce and sustainability.

The move came the same day Shanghai issued a plan to accelerate the development of the city into a fintech hub, a scheme that included the Inclusion conference among its initiatives.

Editor: James Boynton