APEC members eye efforts to boost sustainable economic growth

Financial officials and central bank deputies from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum members met in Shanghai, China on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss efforts to support sustainable economic growth in the region.

The two-day APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies' adopted a 2026 APEC work plan on fiscal and financial channels and an exchange and cooperation project for young financial and economic professionals from APEC economies.

Vice Minister of Finance Liao Min of China, host country of the 2026 APEC summit, chaired this year's meeting, during which the attendees discussed topics such as the global and regional economic and financial situation, fiscal policies for improving people's livelihood, digital infrastructure financing, and inclusive finance.

In his speech at the meeting on Wednesday, Liao said the Asia-Pacific region, though being confronted with multiple challenges such as trade policy uncertainties, aging populations and high debt levels, remains an important engine of global economic growth.

He called on APEC economies to uphold multilateralism, enhance macro policy coordination, deepen regional cooperation, and strengthen fiscal and financial resilience, so as to jointly promote sustainable economic growth in the region and the building of the Asia-Pacific community.

APEC members eye efforts to boost sustainable economic growth

China's bulk commodity price index continued its upward trend in January 2026, marking the ninth straight month of month-on-month gains and the highest level recorded in the past three and a half years, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Thursday.

The index stood at 125.3 points in January, up 6.3 percent from last month, data released by the CFLP showed.

Of the 50 major types of bulk commodities monitored by the federation, 33 saw monthly price increases.

The strongest gains were recorded in neurolithium, refined tin, and refined nickel, up 48.4 percent, 20.2 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively.

Sector-wise, the sub-index for non-ferrous metals and chemical products rose sharply, up 9.9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, from the previous month, due to factors such as loose expectations for international monetary policy, geopolitics, and the futures market.

The supply and demand of the agricultural products market were balanced, and the price index rebounded slightly, up 0.2 percent from the previous month.

China's bulk commodity price index up for 9 consecutive months