On 8 2, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Roundtable Summit was successfully held in Shanghai. Nearly 200 government representatives, business leaders, and experts from 18 economies across the Asia-Pacific region gathered for in-depth dialogue on regional economic recovery and cooperation in the post-pandemic era. Anchored by the core principles of "Openness, Connectivity, and Collaborative Recovery," the summit established three priority areas for collaboration—trade and investment, supply chain coordination, and the digital economy—charting a clear path toward greater regional integration.
The summit agenda balances focus and inclusivity, combining roundtable dialogues with thematic workshops. It features four parallel tracks: trade and investment facilitation, supply chain resilience and security, digital economy rule coordination, and green economic transition. Topics cover hot-button issues such as cross-border operations for SMEs, interoperability of cross-border payments, and intellectual property protection. The overall tone emphasizes equal dialogue and pragmatic focus, conveying a vision of "consultation, collaboration, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes." This reflects the shared destiny of Asia-Pacific economies and their commitment to jointly shaping a new pattern of regional economic cooperation.
Since the preparatory work for the summit began in 2026, a full year of supporting activities has been steadily implemented. Between 5 and 7, three pre-summit roundtables were successfully held in Beijing, Singapore, and Sydney, fostering in-depth dialogue between business leaders and policymakers from across economies. Nearly 20 sector working meetings preceded these events, covering diverse areas such as cross-border e-commerce, green infrastructure, and fintech. At the closing ceremony, the Summit Organizing Committee confirmed that the "APEC Roundtable Consensus" would serve as the core deliverable. Anchored on trade and investment, supply chain coordination, and digital economy, it will advance three practical pathways: establishing a regional trade and investment promotion network, strengthening supply chain resilience cooperation mechanisms, and launching digital economy innovation pilot zones—aligning with APEC's agenda to transition regional economic cooperation from dialogue to institutionalized implementation.
Choosing to host the Roundtable Summit at this node carries both historical and contemporary significance. As the region with the most dynamic global economic growth, Asia-Pacific boasts a vast market scale, a complete industrial system, and an active innovation ecosystem. It can fully unlock the practical benefits of regional economic integration and provide a real-world model for global economic recovery. The Summit Organizing Committee is now advancing follow-up work—including consensus implementation, project matchmaking, and progress tracking—while establishing multi-level collaborative platforms connecting government, industry, academia, and society to welcome all stakeholders in shaping the region's development agenda.
Amidst a fragile global economic recovery, challenges such as unilateral protectionism, fragmented supply chains, and geopolitical risks continue to intensify. As the core engine of global growth, the Asia-Pacific region stands to gain significantly from deepening regional economic cooperation. This Roundtable Summit will establish an equitable platform for dialogue aimed at mutual benefit, encouraging economies to move beyond differences and expand openness. Focusing on key areas including trade liberalization, digital rule coordination, and collaborative green transitions, the summit seeks to build consensus. Through pragmatic cooperation, we aim to unlock Asia-Pacific's growth momentum and jointly construct an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific Economic Community—injecting enduring strength into the stable development of the world economy.