The 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting was held in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(SAR) of China on October 20-21, 2026. China’s Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an chaired the meeting and delivered the opening remarks, Vice Minister Liao Min delivered remarks on behalf of China. Ambassador Chen Xu, Chair of the 2026 APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting attended and addressed the meeting. John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, attended the welcome dinner. More than 300 delegates from APEC member economies, APEC observers, and relevant international organizations participated in the meeting.

The meeting centered on the theme of APEC China Year, “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together,” and deliberated on topics including the global and regional economic and financial outlook, fiscal policies supporting households, digital infrastructure financing, financial access and opportunity for all, as well as the APEC young financial talents dialogue. The meeting reviewed and adopted the 2026 APEC Finance Ministers’ Joint Statement and the Policy Statement on Digital Infrastructure Financing across the Asia-Pacific Region, providing guidance for deepening financial cooperation among APEC economies. The meeting also produced two deliverables including the “Report on Supporting Households and Investing in Human Capital: Fiscal Policy Considerations for Sustaining Economic Growth in APEC” and the “Compendium on Financial Access and Opportunity for All”. Furthermore, member economies agree to advancing capacity building and exchanges for young financial professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lan noted that the international landscape is undergoing profound changes amid escalating uncertainty. The spillover effects of geopolitical conflicts are posing multiple challenges to global economic growth. As the premier forum for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, APEC actively promotes openness and cooperation among member economies, strengthens macroeconomic policy coordination, and advances regional economic integration and contributing to common development and prosperity in the region. All members should remain committed to implementing the consensus of APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, uphold multilateralism, and deepen pragmatic fiscal and financial cooperation, thereby contributing to regional economic and financial stability and long-term sustainable growth.

Lan introduced the continued positive momentum of China’s economy, characterized by stronger innovation, improved quality of growth and steady progress. Lan emphasized that China will remain firmly committed to pursuing high-quality development, accelerating the cultivation of new growth drivers, intensifying efforts to expand domestic demand. Lan further noted that China will continue to advance high-standard opening up and create new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond through further progress in Chinese modernization.

Prior to the plenary meeting, a closed-door Finance Ministers’ retreat and a working luncheon with APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) were also convened. Participants held discussions respectively on the themes of Promoting Aisa-Pacific Economic Growth in a World in Flux and Mobilizing Private Capital to Support Digital Infrastructure Development, yielding encouraging outcomes.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Lan held bilateral meetings with participants, including Liew Abdaullah, Minister of Finance II of Brunei Darussalam; Ngo Van Tuan, Minister of Finance of Viet Nam; Jim Chalmers, Treasurer of Australia; Jeffrey Siow, Singapore’s Minister of Transport and Second Minister of Finance. They exchanged views on the global and regional macroeconomic situation, cooperation under the APEC and ASEAN Plus Three frameworks, and bilateral economic and financial cooperation. Lan also met with John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR.