On October 21, 2025, in Incheon (Korea), the 32nd APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting (FMM 2025) was held within the framework of the APEC Summit Week 2025, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Korea Yun Cheol Koo. Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the Conference with representatives of APEC member economies and many international financial institutions.
With the theme "Sustainable growth and common prosperity in the region", the Conference focused on discussing three priority groups of APEC 2025 including: Innovation, Digital Finance and fiscal policy.
The Finance Ministers shared their assessment of the world economic context: Despite recovering from the pandemic, the global economy still faces many challenges such as geopolitical tensions, public debt risks and climate change. In that situation, APEC members agreed to maintain a flexible macroeconomic policy, promote multilateral cooperation and consider this a key driving force to strengthen the region's resilience and growth.
At the Conference, Minister Nguyen Van Thang shared about the situation and prospects for Vietnam's macro economy. Vietnam's economic growth in the first 9 months of 2025 reached 7.84%, towards the target of 8.1%-85% in 2025. Total registered FDI capital in 9 months reached over 28.5 billion USD, demonstrating Vietnam's increasingly important role in the global supply chain. Inflation is under control, with an average of 3.27% increase in the first 9 months of 2025.
In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to realize the double-digit economic growth target of 10% or more in the 2026-2030 period and continue to strongly implement important strategic orientations on Science, Technology, innovation and national digital transformation development; Promote international integration; Complete institutions and laws, reduce administrative procedures to the maximum, remove all institutional obstacles to make institutions a competitive advantage to unlock social resources; Develop the private economy; create strong momentum to help Vietnam develop quickly and sustainably.
In the field of digital finance, for Vietnam, the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation is a very important driving force in economic development.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance is implementing a number of key tasks such as promoting digital transformation in the fields of public finance, financial markets, developing international financial centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; piloting the cryptocurrency asset market in Vietnam. For the application of artificial intelligence (AI), although there are many positive points contributing to the transformation of the financial sector, it is necessary to clearly recognize the potential risks that AI can bring, thereby sharing and making comments on the measures and orientations being implemented to apply AI safely, transparently and sustainably.
From the perspective of fiscal policy management in the context of increasing pressure on public finance, Vietnam determined that fiscal policy needs to focus on shifting from short-term stability to institutional investment and long-term risk management. Key areas include reforming a sustainable social spending system; strategic investment in human resources and technology; flexible financial management and revenue optimization, improving public spending performance through budgeting according to results. For the APEC process in general, Vietnam wishes to continue to contribute effectively and be an active member contributing to the overall stability and prosperity of the APEC region.
At the end of the Conference, the Ministers approved the "Incheon Plan 2026-2030" - the orientation for the Action Plan of the APEC Financial Ministers' Project (FMP) for the next 5 years.
Accordingly, the roadmap is built on 4 pillars, including: Innovation; Finance; fiscal policy; Access and opportunities.
The conference also unanimously approved the APEC 2025 Joint Statement of the Finance Minister.
According to the roadmap, China will take on the role of chairing the 33rd APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting (FMM 2026), continuing the spirit of cooperation and common prosperity of the APEC region.
