PETER PARKS

Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an is scheduled to deliver five minutes of opening remarks at 2pm on October 20 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) finance ministers' meeting in Hong Kong, according to a draft agenda obtained by the South China Morning Post. 【Verification pending: The draft agenda has not been made public and the report by the South China Morning Post is the only available source at present; the Hong Kong government and the Finance Ministry have not announced the speakers or timings】

This will be the first time Hong Kong has hosted the APEC finance ministers' meeting. The meeting will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on October 20 and 21, with about 500 guests expected to attend, including finance ministers and senior officials from the 21 member economies. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in a blog post on October 11 that 87 per cent of Hong Kong's external trade was conducted with APEC member economies, while the 21 APEC economies together accounted for more than 60 per cent of global gross domestic product. He said hosting the meeting reflected the central government's support for Hong Kong and highlighted the city's position as an international financial centre in the region.

Under the draft agenda, after Lan's remarks, Chen Xu, chair of the 2026 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, will outline this year's priorities and the latest progress. The formal proceedings will begin at 10am on October 20 with a finance ministers' retreat session, followed by a working lunch. The report said some senior officials would arrive in Hong Kong early on October 19, which is scheduled to be used for drafting the ministers' joint statement. 【Verification pending: The timetable is based on the draft agenda and may be changed】

The meeting is organised by the mainland's Finance Ministry, while the Hong Kong government is responsible for arrangements and preparations. The arrangements were announced on December 12, 2025. This year is the APEC "China Year", under the theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community and Promoting Common Prosperity". Chan said the meeting's four key areas were fiscal policies supporting people's livelihoods, financing for digital infrastructure, inclusive finance, and exchanges for young financial talent — all areas in which Hong Kong has strengths.

On the role Hong Kong can play, Chan said the city could facilitate exchanges among governments, financial institutions, investors and technology companies in the various economies, as well as explore financing models for public-private partnerships. He also said Hong Kong could provide financing tools for infrastructure investment in the region and further expand market opportunities for the local financial sector, particularly in green bonds and project certification.

The meeting will conclude on October 21. The 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will subsequently be held in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.