On 12th December, 2021, the “2021 Bank of East Asia Cup Financial Education School Tour” award ceremony, jointly organised by the Shanghai Students Moral Education Development Centre, the Shanghai Educational Press Group, and the Bank of East Asia (China) Limited ("BEA China"), was held at the Shanghai Education Press Group in Xuhui District, Shanghai. The tour was a response to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission’s call to protect customers’ rights and interests. It demonstrated the economic and financial achievements made under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, especially those regarding Shanghai becoming an international financial center. It aimed to improve teenagers’ financial knowledge and literacy and better their future prospects.

Mr Montgomery Ho Shun-wah, Executive Director & Chief Executive of BEA China, said, “2021 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and various commemorative activities have been carried out throughout the country. We held this tour as one of those activities, in order to enhance the patriotic spirit of teenagers by showing them the brilliant achievements made by all ethnic groups under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. We also hope that the tour can provide a platform for teenagers to connect school knowledge and life practice, help them develop a better understanding of wealth management, improve their financial awareness, and finally further improve the overall quality of consumers.”

Considering the influence of COVID-19, this year's Financial Education School Tour was carried out with combined forms of online and offline competitions, including a quiz on students’ financial knowledge and an essay & speech contest. The tour received positive responses from the middle school students who participated enthusiastically. The quiz saw students answer questions on financial knowledge either online or offline. Zhang Zhihao from Southwest Weiyu Middle School, Xu Weiting from Shanghai Far East School, and Yu Si from Shanghai Food Science and Technology School won the first prize. Shanghai Huayu Private Middle School and Shanghai Fuxing Senior High School won the Group Gold Award of junior middle school group and senior high school group respectively. In the essay competition, students described the positive changes and profound influences that the financial progress and innovations have brought to their lives from their own perspectives. Top 30 excellent contestants in the essay competition have been selected to upgrade to the speech contest. In the speech contest, the students made videos of speeches with the theme of "micro financial stories in daily life". Finally, after online voting and expert evaluation, Zhou Yuqi from Shanghai Huayu Private Middle School and Ding Zhongcheng from Shanghai Shixi Junior Middle School won the first prize of junior middle school group, and Lai Tingxiao from Shanghai No.4 High School won the first prize of senior high school group.

The “Bank of East Asia Cup Financial Education School Tour” has been developed to improve the middle school students’ financial literacy, help teenagers develop a better understanding of wealth management, and thereby enhance the financial awareness among young people. Launched in 2013, the tour has run for nine consecutive years, increasing its profile each year. Over 80,000 students from more than 120 schools in Shanghai participated, and over 100,000 people followed the event.