The 2026 APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting was successfully held in Hong Kong.

The 2026 APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting was successfully held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Representatives of member economies and international organizations engaged in in-depth exchanges on multiple major issues concerning regional economic development, forging broad consensus and practical outcomes. The Finance Ministers' Meeting was held today (October 21) on its second day, and the meeting issued the "2026 APEC Finance Ministers' Joint Statement," reaffirming the commitment to building an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, and realizing shared prosperity for the people of the Asia-Pacific and future generations. The statement also noted that all parties held meaningful discussions on fiscal policies supporting livelihood development, financing for digital infrastructure, and promoting inclusive finance development in light of local conditions, and welcomed the youth finance and economics talent exchange and cooperation program to promote prosperity and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. Today's agenda of the Finance Ministers' Meeting included discussions on promoting inclusive finance development in light of local conditions, and promoting APEC youth finance and economics talent exchange and cooperation. Speaking during the discussion session, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said that the key to promoting inclusive finance is to enable citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises to safely and conveniently use affordable and reliable financial services. He shared Hong Kong's experience in implementing the "Commercial Data Interchange," which enhances credit assessment efficiency and facilitates SME financing by promoting data sharing between enterprises and banks. He emphasized that consumer protection, data governance and clear accountability mechanisms must advance in tandem with innovation. He also said that Hong Kong supports extending the youth finance and economics talent exchange and cooperation program in 2027 to cultivate a new generation of talent with professional knowledge, sound judgment, international perspective and cross-border collaboration capabilities. He suggested that the exchanges focus on practical policy issues such as the responsible application of artificial intelligence, financing for digital infrastructure and inclusive finance, and establish a sustained network among participants to promote learning and long-term cooperation. In his closing remarks at the meeting, Minister of Finance Lan Fo'an said that all parties should firmly implement the consensus of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, uphold multilateralism, deepen practical cooperation in the fiscal and financial fields, and contribute to regional economic and financial stability and long-term sustainable growth. A press conference was also held after the meeting. Lan Fo'an said that with the joint efforts of all parties and the high-quality service support provided by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Finance Ministers' Meeting successfully completed all agenda items and achieved a series of practical outcomes. He noted that the meeting deepened consensus among Asia-Pacific parties in three areas, including strengthening macroeconomic policy communication and coordination to jointly address external risks and challenges; advancing practical cooperation in the fiscal and financial fields to support long-term sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific economy; and promoting regional economic integration to build an Asia-Pacific community. The 2026 APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting was successfully held in the Hong Kong SAR, fully demonstrating Hong Kong's unique advantages as an international financial center with the backing of the motherland and connectivity to the world, as well as its capability to host large-scale international conferences. Hong Kong will continue to play the role of "super connector" and "super value-adder," deepen exchanges and cooperation with APEC member economies, and contribute to promoting regional economic and financial development.