Hong Kong hosted the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting for the first time, and the two-day meeting concluded on Wednesday. It approved and issued two statements: a 2026 joint statement by APEC finance ministers and a policy statement on financing digital infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific.
After the meeting, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said political and business participants had been able to see Hong Kong first-hand and understand its role connecting the mainland with the rest of the world.
Chan said many countries needed investment, professional services and operational management to build infrastructure. Some businesses also wanted to enter the mainland market and could cooperate with Hong Kong in these areas, creating new opportunities for the city’s professional services sector.
He said differences in political positions, stages of development and needs made consensus difficult among APEC economies. Hong Kong would seek common ground while respecting those differences.
For infrastructure projects, Chan said Hong Kong could help arrange financing; suitable projects could also be listed directly or securitised and then listed.