25 September 2025
Commitment formalised at CAIBA and APTIBCM summit in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur : CIMB Group (“CIMB” or “The Group”) has committed to deepening collaboration in infrastructure and ESG-linked financing as well as trade settlement frameworks with member banks from the China ASEAN Interbank Association (“CAIBA”) and ASEAN Plus Three Inter Bank Cooperation Mechanism (“APTIBCM”). This was announced at the 15th CAIBA and 6th APTIBCM Meetings which were co-hosted by CIMB and China Development Bank in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Two Joint Statements on ASEAN Economic Cooperation and Cross-Border Collaborations were also signed, one amongst members of CAIBA and the other between members of APTIBCM, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthen economic cooperation and cross-border collaborations across all members.
The meetings at CAIBA and APTIBCM, were represented by one member bank from each ASEAN nation, China, Japan and South Korea and featured in-depth exchanges and discussions on areas that ranged from economic cooperation to cross-border collaboration in financing, payments and treasury that will accelerate the growth of trade, commerce, and cross-border investments. The sharing of current best practices and innovations also contributed to the sense of shared progress, with the intention of fostering greater economic strength and prosperity together. The discussions were grouped under three prominent themes of ASEAN Economic Cooperations and Cross-Border Collaboration, Sustainable Development and ESG, and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence.
Gurdip Singh Sidhu, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Malaysia said, “With Malaysia as the Chair of ASEAN in 2025, we are pleased that our shared commitments align closely with ASEAN’s theme this year – Inclusivity and Sustainability. In a world of accelerating change, hyper connectivity and dynamic economies, CIMB’s purpose has never been clearer - we are not just a bank. Our purpose is to advance customers and societies, to foster inclusion and be a reliable partner to connect the member banks in CAIBA and APTIBCM and their clients to ASEAN and beyond, supporting dynamic economic development across the region. Our strength lies in the diversity of our 33,000 employees across 10 countries, serving over 30 million customers including member banks at CAIBA and APTIBCM and their clients where we match long-term capital with regional projects, improving local currency access and strengthening the rails for trade, infrastructure and sustainable development deeply, sustainably and inclusively.
Chu Kok Wei, Chief Executive Officer, Group Wholesale Banking, CIMB Group added, “Our collaborative network across the region is poised to leverage the capacity building initiatives we have created with the cooperation of regulators, banks and clients to enable greater access to liquidity to support trade. Guided by regulators, we will also continue to spur innovations that will aid the growth of cross-border payments to spearhead SME participation, tourism flows and cost-effective trade settlement in local currencies, underscoring many areas of cooperation within CAIBA and APTIBCM."
Wang Weidong, Executive Vice-President, China Development Bank shared, “China Development Bank remains committed to working with all parties to build a high-quality financial cooperation mechanism that supports regional prosperity and development. We will continue to leverage instruments such as the Belt and Road Special Loan, RMB financing windows, and the China–ASEAN Common Development Special Loan. We aim to promote a low-carbon transition, drive innovation-driven growth, harness the digital economy, and jointly advance key projects in infrastructure connectivity, sustainable development, industrial and supply chain cooperation, clean energy, green technology, scientific innovation, and transformation of the manufacturing sector."
Present at the meetings were Adnan Zaylani Mohamed Zahid, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia and Sun Shuqiang, Minister Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia. Gurdip Singh Sidhu was joined by Chu Kok Wei, Wang Weidong, as well as representatives of all member banks of CAIBA and APTIBCM.
CAIBA member banks comprise CIMB Group, China Development Bank, and one representative member bank from each ASEAN country. APTIBCM member banks are from CAIBA with the inclusion of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Korea Development Bank.
