HK to spare no effort in hosting Apec meeting: CE

The SAR on Friday welcomed Beijing's decision that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) finance ministers' meeting 2026 would be held in Hong Kong. The decision on the October meeting also came as China, as the host of Apec, said it has confirmed the schedule for a series of gatherings for the bloc throughout the year. Chief Executive John Lee said in a statement the SAR would spare no effort in making "comprehensive and meticulous" preparations in organising the finance ministers' meeting, which would be Hong Kong's first. "We are grateful for the central government's trust and support," he said. "The HKSAR government will leverage Hong Kong's experience and strengths as an international financial centre to ensure the successful organisation of the finance ministers' meeting in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong will also seize this opportunity to deepen international exchanges and co-operation, better integrating into and serving the overall national development." The finance ministers' meeting will be hosted by the Ministry of Finance, but organised by and held in the SAR. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui will lead a dedicated task force in co-ordination efforts for the meeting. As Apec host, China will also be responsible for preparing for and chairing a raft of ministerial meetings, as well as the leaders' summit set to be held in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19. In all, about 300 events will take place across the country during the 2026 Apec "China Year". The Apec Symposium and Informal Senior Officials' Meeting (ISOM), held in Shenzhen on Thursday and Friday, marked the first event organised by China as Apec host. The ISOM unanimously approved a Chinese proposal to set openness, innovation and cooperation as the three priorities for the Apec "China Year", and "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together" as its theme. (Additional reporting by Xinhua)