The “2026 East Asia Top Leader Hainan Forum & East Asia Top Leader Honors Award Ceremony”, jointly organised by the Asia Excellence Entrepreneur Federation (AEEF), Top Leader Magazine, the International Association for the Advancement of Quality (IAQ), and HWT Group Berhad, was recently held successfully at The Westin Haikou, Hainan, China.

The prestigious event gathered entrepreneurs, scholars, industry experts, and business leaders from across East Asia to explore future regional trends, industrial collaboration, and international development opportunities.

With the theme “Empowering East Asia, Winning the Future”, the forum focused on topics such as AI, international cooperation, consumer upgrading, supply chain development, corporate culture, and sustainable leadership.

In his welcoming speech, Prof Dr Robin Tan, President of the Asia Excellence Entrepreneur Federation (AEEF), shared that future competition among businesses will no longer be limited to individual companies, but rather a competition between regional ecosystems, international resources, and talent systems. He emphasized that the rise of the Hainan Free Trade Port presents significant new international opportunities for Southeast Asian enterprises, while AEEF will continue serving as an important bridge connecting China and Southeast Asia.

Dr Jodness Tan, Chief Editor of Top Leader Magazine, also highlighted in his welcoming speech that future East Asian collaboration is not merely about business cooperation, but also about the exchange of culture, talent, technology, and perspectives. He stressed that true internationalisation is not simply about expanding overseas, but about building long-term trust, sustainable partnerships, and meaningful win-win relationships.

The values and vision shared in their speeches were clearly reflected throughout the Hainan visit and forum exchanges.

The forum featured four major discussion segments:

▪ Inclusive Leadership in the Age of Globalisation & AI
▪ East Asia Industry Trends & China Alignment
▪ East Asia Consumer & Brand Innovation Forum
▪ Sustainable Leadership & Cultural Values in East Asia

Several speakers drew strong attention from attendees during the forum sessions.

Dr Liu Hanbo, Associate Professor from the International Communication and Art College of Hainan University, shared the Eastern philosophy of “Xiao Man Sheng Quan Man” (Small Fulfillment is Better than Full Perfection), inspired by the Chinese solar term “Xiaoman” on the day of the forum. He highlighted the importance of balance and long-term thinking for future leaders in an increasingly fast-changing world.

Kriskay Choo, President of AEEF Singapore, shared that “AI is resetting everyone’s starting line,” emphasizing that future competitiveness will come from learning ability, integration capability, and international resource collaboration.

Au Yeong Shong Kwong, CEO of Xin Hwa Supply Chain Sdn Bhd and Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Xin Hwa Holdings Berhad, spoke about the future logistics and supply chain potential between Hainan and Southeast Asia. He highlighted that the “1039 Market Procurement Trade Model” will further improve cross-border customs convenience between Haikou and Southeast Asia, creating major opportunities for SMEs and light-asset businesses.

Zhang Zhipeng from Yefengji E-Commerce (Haikou) Co., Ltd. also shared that “power export” and “computing power export” may become key industries for Hainan in the future, noting that the real competition in the AI era will not only be about technology, but also about energy and computational capabilities.

During the event, AEEF officially signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with:

▪ Haikou Cross-Border E-Commerce Association
▪ Hainan Creative Port Digital Talent Co., Ltd.

Both parties expressed strong interest in future collaboration involving cross-border e-commerce, international talent development, business establishment support, AI talent resources, industrial networking, and helping Southeast Asian enterprises enter the China market.

The East Asia Top Leader Honors Award Ceremony was also held following the forum, recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and enterprises from across East Asia.

The awards categories included:

▪ East Asia Top Leader Honors – Entrepreneur Award
▪ East Asia Top Leader Honors – Enterprise Award
▪ East Asia Top Leader Honors – Industry Leader Award

The awards recognised individuals and organisations with outstanding achievements in business growth, industry development, international influence, and social contribution.

Award recipients included:

【East Asia Top Leader Honors – Entrepreneur Award】

▪ Dato' Mohamed Thoufeek Mohamed Kiyas (Big Ben Education Group Sdn Bhd)
▪ Dr. Jest Wong (Westwood Clinic)
▪ Dr. Shiw Shin Yeen (BrainScience Academy Sdn Bhd)
▪ Au Yeong Shong Kwong (Xin Hwa Supply Chain Sdn Bhd)
▪ Chris Chan Mei Ling (Total Tools Online Store Sdn Bhd)
▪ Master Maxkoh (Maxkoh Malaysia Empire)
▪ Rachel Tan Mui Hoon (U Skin Beauty Specialist Sdn Bhd)
▪ Stephen Phang Sei Jiang (Iktikad Kreatif Sdn Bhd)
▪ Sunny Gan Xin Ying (H.S. Heng Sawmill Sdn Bhd)
and many other outstanding entrepreneurs from East Asia.

【East Asia Top Leader Honors – Enterprise Award】

▪ Bennison Distillery Sdn Bhd
▪ BrainScience Academy Sdn Bhd
▪ De Soin Medical Sdn Bhd
▪ GTF Management Sdn Bhd
▪ Legendage Worldwide Sdn Bhd
▪ LSY & Partner Business Solution
▪ MPI Multi-Pure International Sdn Bhd
▪ Nereus Sdn Bhd
▪ Only Korea Retail Sdn Bhd
▪ Skywise Stratergy Group Sdn Bhd
▪ Xin Hwa Supply Chain Sdn Bhd
and many other outstanding enterprises.

【East Asia Top Leader Honors – Industry Leader Award】

▪ Ng Meng Chuan (Hap Fatt Marine Products Sdn Bhd)

Distinguished guests attending the event included:

▪ Prof Dr Robin Tan (President of AEEF)
▪ Dr Jodness Tan (Chief Editor of Top Leader Magazine)
▪ Ruan Ning (President of Haikou Cross-Border E-Commerce Association)
▪ Wan Tao (Hainan Creative Port Digital Talent Co., Ltd.)
▪ Dr Liu Hanbo (Associate Professor, Hainan University)
▪ Dr. Jenny Hoon (Chairwoman of HWT Group Berhad)
▪ Kriskay Choo (President of AEEF Singapore)
▪ Dato Dr Ting Yew Chai (Permanent Honorary President of AEEF & Chairman of DFM Prosper Group)
▪ Zhang Zhipeng (Yefengji E-Commerce (Haikou) Co., Ltd.)
▪ Yu Xinyun (Investment Director of Jiaxi Industrial Park)
▪ Au Yeong Shong Kwong (CEO of Xin Hwa Supply Chain Sdn Bhd & Group CSO of Xin Hwa Holdings Berhad)

The forum and award ceremony not only represented a high-level international entrepreneurial gathering, but also symbolised the strengthening bridge between Hainan, China and Southeast Asia in talent exchange, industrial collaboration, technology, and international business development.

Moving forward, AEEF will continue promoting deeper cooperation among East Asian entrepreneurs and creating more meaningful opportunities for regional collaboration and future growth.