APEC finance ministers back closer policy coordination and digital infrastructure financing

APEC finance ministers concluded a two-day meeting in Hong Kong on 21 October 2026 with a call for closer coordination on economic risks and an endorsement of a voluntary policy on digital infrastructure financing. Reuters reported that Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an described the coordination agreement at a briefing after the meeting.

Lan said the ministers had agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on macroeconomic policy to address external risks and challenges, according to Reuters. He also described a consensus on practical financial cooperation focused on people’s livelihoods, digital infrastructure financing and locally adapted measures to widen access to finance.

What the APEC joint statement covers

On digital infrastructure, the statement identifies financing gaps in some APEC economies. It points to policy and regulatory constraints and limited financing channels as challenges, giving context to the ministers’ call for cooperation among governments, businesses and development banks.

The statement encourages public authorities to establish clear, transparent and predictable policy and regulatory frameworks for digital infrastructure. It also calls for private-sector funding and technical expertise, including innovative financing approaches, and encourages multilateral development banks to help reduce investment risks, mobilise private capital and prepare projects within their mandates.

Digital infrastructure policy is voluntary

The ministers welcomed and endorsed a separate Asia-Pacific policy statement on digital infrastructure financing, which the joint statement describes as voluntary and non-binding. Reuters reported that the policy encourages reliable, accessible, secure and resilient infrastructure, as well as digital skills, interoperability and cross-border connectivity. It also calls for infrastructure that can scale and is trusted, linking financing discussions to how digital services work across economies.

The separate policy statement also seeks deeper cooperation among the public sector, private sector and multilateral development banks on innovation and risk mitigation, Reuters reported. The joint statement frames those roles as ways to address financing barriers while leaving implementation to participating economies and institutions under the voluntary policy.