The Ministry of Finance (MOF) stated that the 58th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was held in Milan, Italy, from May 4 to 7, 2025. On behalf of Taiwan, Finance Minister Ms. Tsui-Yun Chuang, in her capacity as Governor, led a delegation composed of Mr. Ray-Beam Dawn, Chairman of the Bankers Association of the Republic of China, Mr. Yu-Lin Huang, Secretary General of the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), and Mr. Tsan-Nan Lin, Director General of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy- Milan Office. The delegation actively participated in key sessions of the Annual Meeting, engaged in bilateral meetings, and delivered a formal Statement.

According to the MOF, in her official Statement, Minister Chuang commended the ADB’s continued efforts in institutional reforms to better respond to the needs of its members, as well as its emphasis on mobilizing private sector resources, promoting digital transformation, and enhancing women’s participation. She also called on the ADB to provide increased support to Pacific Small Island Developing States in addressing the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, she expressed her high expectations for President Mr. Masato Kanda, who assumed office in February, in steering the ADB towards impactful and modern development strategies.

The MOF further noted that during this year’s Annual Meeting, President Kanda announced four strategic directions to drive transformation in the Asia-Pacific region:

1. Scaling up financing for food systems transformation;

 2. Investing in digital technologies to improve access to education, finance, and markets in member countries;

3. Promoting modern and integrated energy systems; and

4. Increasing investment in resilient infrastructure.

On the other hand, regarding the matter of the unilateral alteration of Taiwan’s membership designation, Minister Chuang reaffirmed the government’s firm and ongoing protest, both at the Business Session of the Board of Governors and during her bilateral meeting with President Kanda. As a founding member of the ADB, Taiwan has faithfully fulfilled its obligations and actively contributed to the Bank by sharing its development experiences. Taiwan calls upon the ADB and all its members to uphold the principle of mutual respect, ensuring that all members are treated fairly and equally and enjoy equal opportunities for participation in ADB activities.

The MOF emphasized that this ADB Annual Meeting was the first to be held in Europe since 2016 in Frankfurt, Germany, and attracted over 5,000 participants, including high-level government officials and financial institution executives from across ADB’s member countries, as well as representatives of international organizations. In addition to attending these official sessions, Minister Chuang held meetings with ADB leadership and engaged in wide-ranging exchanges with senior fiscal officials from other member countries, thereby strengthening fiscal diplomacy and promoting international cooperation opportunities for Taiwanese enterprises.

Press Contact:

Deputy Director-General Kevin Pao

Tel: +886-2-2322-8000 ext. 8210