The 4th ASEAN+3 Task Force Meeting

The 4th ASEAN+3 Task Force Meeting commenced at the Dalian International Conference Center. The meeting is co-chaired by YBhg. Dato’ Zamzuri Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary General of Treasury (Policy), Ministry of Finance Malaysia and Ms. Zheng Minwen, Deputy Director-General of the International Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Finance of China. This meeting follows the 3rd ASEAN+3 Task Force Meeting which was held on 25–26 September 2025 in Kuching, Malaysia.

In the opening remarks, Malaysia and China extended warm congratulations and welcome to Timor-Leste, following the historic Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN, which took place during the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. The Declaration, signed by ASEAN Leaders together with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, marked the collective consent to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th Member State of ASEAN. This milestone reflects years of close partnership, dialogue, and cooperation between ASEAN and Timor-Leste in advancing shared regional aspirations.

In the opening remarks, Malaysia and China extended warm congratulations and welcome to Timor-Leste, following the historic Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN, which took place during the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. The Declaration, signed by ASEAN Leaders together with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, marked the collective consent to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th Member State of ASEAN. This milestone reflects years of close partnership, dialogue, and cooperation between ASEAN and Timor-Leste in advancing shared regional aspirations.

China also expressed its appreciation to Malaysia for its role in the adoption of the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Regional Economic and Financial Cooperation, which was endorsed on 27 October 2025 during the 28th ASEAN+3 Summit. The Statement recognises the pivotal role of the ASEAN+3 partnership in advancing regional economic and financial cooperation, as well as in promoting inclusive and sustainable development amid an increasingly complex global environment.

The first day of the 4th ASEAN+3 Task Force Meeting featured in-depth discussions on strategic, policy, and operational issues under the ASEAN+3 Finance Process. The deliberations focused on the Medium-Term Implementation Plan (MTIP) 2026–2028, governance matters, and preparations for the ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO) 2026, which will highlight Monetary Policy under High Uncertainty and Pathways for Deeper ASEAN Integration. The meeting also reviewed operational priorities, including the FY2026 Budget, Technical Assistance Activities, and AMRO’s support for the ASEAN+3 Finance Process. Discussions further covered progress in financial digitalisation, the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI), and the Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) Initiative, with updates from SEADRIF on new regional insurance mechanisms to strengthen fiscal resilience and climate risk protection.

The outcomes of this meeting will be presented at the ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting (AFCDM+3) scheduled to be held from 26 to 27 November 2025 in Hong Kong for endorsement.