Key facts
- APEC finance ministers agreed to strengthen macroeconomic policy communication and coordination.
- Focus areas for financial cooperation included supporting livelihoods and digital infrastructure financing.
- A policy statement encouraged development of reliable, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure.
Finance ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies have agreed to strengthen macroeconomic policy communication and coordination to address external risks and challenges, according to Chinese Minister of Finance Lan Foan. The ministers met in Hong Kong and also reached a consensus on promoting practical cooperation in the financial sector, with a focus on supporting people's livelihoods, digital infrastructure financing, and inclusive finance development. A policy statement released after the meeting encouraged member economies to develop reliable, accessible, scalable, trusted, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure to accelerate digital transformation in the region. Ministers also sought deeper collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and multilateral development banks to foster innovation and risk mitigation.