Finance ministers and central bank governors from China, Japan, South Korea and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signaled collective vigilance on market turbulence following a gathering in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The officials convened on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting and issued a joint communique underscoring their ongoing policy dialogue aimed at preserving macroeconomic and financial stability.
"We strongly reaffirm our commitment to sustained policy dialogue to safeguard macroeconomic and financial stability," the statement said.
In addition to reaffirming that commitment, the group said it would be attentive to the risks posed by excessive volatility and disorderly movements in financial markets as well as to shifts in global liquidity conditions. The statement said members stand ready to respond to such risks in accordance with domestic circumstances.
The communiqué also addressed trade and supply-chain considerations. Delegates pledged to keep trade and investment channels open and to support resilient supply chains. They restated backing for a rules-based, non-discriminatory, free, fair, open, inclusive, equitable and transparent multilateral trading system, explicitly naming the World Trade Organization as central to that framework.
The ASEAN bloc referenced in the statement comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The joint remarks reflect the collective stance of the ASEAN+3 grouping - the ten ASEAN members plus China, Japan and South Korea - at this meeting in Samarkand.
The officials' pledge to monitor market volatility and to remain prepared to act was presented as contingent on domestic conditions, with no specific policy actions or timelines announced in the statement. The communiqué focused on reaffirming principles of cooperation on macroeconomic and financial stability and on trade openness rather than detailing operational steps.
Contextual note - The statement followed discussions held alongside the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting in Samarkand, where finance and central bank officials of the ASEAN+3 grouping met to exchange views on prevailing economic and financial conditions.