Regional policy discussion in Hong Kong
The 33rd APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting is taking place in Hong Kong on October 20-21. Vietnam's finance ministry said macroeconomic developments and regional growth prospects were central to the October 20 discussions, alongside closed sessions, plenary work and bilateral meetings.
Minister Ngô Văn Tuấn presented Vietnam's economic position and policy direction. International institutions including the IMF, ADB and AIIB discussed geopolitical risks alongside technology-led growth, particularly AI. Supply-chain disruption, energy transport and price pressures featured among the concerns.
The meeting report also identified AI investment and technology-equipment exports as growth supports, while noting unequal digital infrastructure. AIIB recommended digital and energy-transition investment, with public funding helping mobilise private resources.
Vietnam's reported figures and future objectives
The minister cited Vietnamese GDP growth of 9.01% and CPI growth of 4.52% in the first nine months of 2026. Registered FDI was reported at $50.36 billion. Those figures concern a stated nine-month period; registered capital is not interchangeable with disbursement or a full-year total.
Public debt was described as around 35-36% of GDP. Vietnam's double-digit growth ambition for 2027 remains a policy objective based on stability, institutional reform and technology, rather than an achieved outcome.
The delegation was scheduled to continue meetings on October 21. A handover of APEC 2027 hosting responsibilities was expected at the closing ceremony. The October 20 report therefore sets out a future arrangement and does not establish that the handover had already occurred.