China’s rapid economic growth has led to unprecedented wealth creation and a rising middle class of consumers. At the same time, there are still sizeable rural, urban and migrant communities that remain disadvantaged and need to be better integrated into the financial system. In this fast-changing socio-economic environment, characterised by massive urbanisation, it is all the more important for people to have the necessary skills and awareness to protect their finances, build for the future, and withstand economic shock.

Financial education is essential in order to provide this capability across society. Financial literacy should be established as a life skill taught from a young age and expanded to adult groups at different life cycles. Establishing good money management values and habits at an early age helps to improve the financial capability of current and future generations, and can be transformational for young people from underprivileged backgrounds.

How can financial education be optimised for schools, especially those in disadvantaged communities, as well as reach out-of-school and unemployed youth? What is the best way to provide this form of education, taking into consideration different cultural factors? Which policies and channels are most productive? What types of partnerships are needed between the public sector, private institutions, academia and civil society to help programmes achieve their desired outcome? How can initiatives be evaluated to ensure they are producing positive behavioural change?

Visa and the Financial Times will gather policy-makers, educators, financial service providers and other experts and thought leaders for an exclusive lunch forum to discuss how to optimise the provision of financial education for young people in China -- the foundations that should be in place, and the steps that should be taken to maximise reach and impact.

This invitation-only event -- chaired by Financial Times Beijing Bureau Chief Jamil Anderlini and featuring a keynote address by Chu Bende, Chairman, China Foundation for Development of Financial Education -- is the latest in a series of high-level Visa-FT Financial Literacy Forums organised around the world since 2012.

The event will be held in Chinese.