1. Xi, Brunei's Sultan exchange congratulations on 35th anniversary of ties
On 30 September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah on Wednesday exchanged congratulations on the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Xi noted that the traditional friendship between China and Brunei has a long history and remained strong over time.
In the process of working together towards modernization, the two countries have set an example of mutual respect, equality and common development between large and small countries, Xi added.
Over the 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Brunei have steadily deepened political mutual trust, achieved fruitful results in cooperation across various fields, and strengthened people-to-people exchanges, he said.
Xi said that last year, Hassanal paid a state visit to China, during which the two sides reached important consensus on building a China-Brunei community with a shared future, ushering bilateral relations into a new stage of historical development.
Xi emphasized that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Brunei relations and is willing to work with Hassanal to take the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, enhance the alignment of development strategies, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and advance the building of the China-Brunei community with a shared future in a more substantive and in-depth manner, so as to better benefit the two peoples and contribute more to regional prosperity and stability.
Hassanal stated that over the past 35 years since establishing diplomatic relations, Brunei and China have consistently trusted, respected, and understood each other.
In 2025, the two countries reached an important consensus on building a community with a shared future, he added.
He looks forward to taking the 35th anniversary of Brunei-China diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties, deepen cooperation and exchanges in areas such as economy, trade, investment, defense, and culture, and jointly achieve prosperity and progress for both countries, thereby better benefiting their peoples.
2. His Majesty Graces 21st National Youth Day Celebration
On 8 October, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah attended and delivered a speech at the 21st National Youth Day celebration, held at the International Convention Centre. His Majesty urged the nation's youth to boldly seize existing and emerging opportunities, become both users and drivers of technology, and actively engage in community work and volunteer service. Citing official figures, he noted that Brunei’s Youth Development Index has climbed from 65.1 percent in 2018 to 69.0 percent in 2025 — the highest reading since the index was first introduced in 2008. Even so, he cautioned that community participation and financial literacy among young people remain areas that need further strengthening.
3. Brunei, Singapore Exchange High-Level Visits within Two Weeks
On 28 September, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah arrived in Singapore to attend the 12th edition of the Singapore–Brunei Young Leaders' Programme. During the visit, he met separately with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Both sides reaffirmed the two countries’ traditional and special ties, and exchanged views on economic cooperation — including supply-chain resilience, agri-food technology and joint halal food certification — as well as scholarships, civil-service exchanges, autonomous vehicle development, defence technology and regional developments. His Royal Highness also attended a luncheon hosted by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Wong.
On 9 October, Prime Minister Wong visited Brunei. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah and Prime Minister Wong jointly officiated the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of defence relations between Singapore and Brunei. His Majesty expressed the wish that the friendship between the two countries and their armed forces be passed down from generation to generation, so as to jointly safeguard regional and international peace and stability. The commemorative ceremony, held at the Royal Brunei Navy’s Muara Naval Base, featured a tri-service parade and a naval fleet review at sea.
4. Brunei Central Bank Unveils Financial Sector Blueprint 2026–2035
On 28 September, Brunei’s central bank launched the Brunei Financial Sector Blueprint 2026–2035, marking the country's second ten-year strategic plan for its financial industry.
Centred on preserving monetary and financial stability, the Blueprint sets out three strategic directions: fostering innovative and inclusive finance, advancing sustainable finance, and building a technology-driven modern financial infrastructure.
The plan was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Dato Manaf. Citing official figures, he noted that total assets of Brunei's financial system have grown at an average annual rate of 2.3 percent over the past decade, reaching B$25.9 billion in 2025. In the first half of this year alone, bank financing to businesses hit B$6.2 billion, which is double the level of a decade ago. Over the same period, the financial sector’s share of GDP rose from 5.6 percent to 6.0 percent.