Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

MORE than 1,000 delegates gathered in Guangzhou from Feb. 1 to 10 to chart the economic future of the Asia-Pacific.

The First Senior Officials’ Meeting of APEC China 2026 and Related Meetings brought together representatives from APEC’s 21 member economies, its secretariat, business advisory councils, and international organizations.

Over 10 days, delegates attended more than 70 meetings, workshops, and symposiums focusing on trade and investment, technological innovation, the digital economy, cross-border e-commerce, standards alignment, and marine fisheries.

Officials said discussions aimed to build concrete proposals ahead of the leaders’ summit in Shenzhen scheduled for this November.

“The main goal of APEC is trade and investment. It is useful because you see that all the leaders are coming with different initiatives to work towards one goal, to work as a community,” said Rocio Casildo, an official from the National Council of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Peru.

China set its host year theme as “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together,” emphasizing openness, innovation, and cooperation.

Malcolm John MacMillan, national manager of Standards New Zealand, highlighted the practical benefits of collaboration. “China is our biggest trading partner. So here we want to learn about business practices, standards, and conformance to support our economy around trade and market access, innovation, and cooperation,” he said.

He added that discussions on rapidly evolving technologies like AI were particularly timely, providing insights into how technologies could support trade and economic growth.

For some delegates, APEC’s value lies in addressing day-to-day commercial hurdles. Wilnora Lavetoria Cawile, deputy collector for operations at the Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines, noted the importance of talks on customs procedures.

“The growth of e-commerce in the Philippines is largely because of China. We have a lot of cargo freighters coming from different parts of China,” Cawile said. “During the APEC meetings, we can talk about this … It helps a lot.”

Kamis Yalakun, manager for investment promotion at Papua New Guinea’s Investment Promotion Authority, praised China’s hosting priorities as “really good ideas.”

“We can see China is an important global player in shaping the economy,” Yalakun said, saying direct flights operated by China Southern Airlines have created new market opportunities for Papua New Guinea.

Beyond high-level policy, APEC officials emphasized the forum’s broader impact on communities.

Cristina Christodulo, community outreach manager at the APEC Secretariat, who led a communication and press team during Peru’s host year in 2024, said the benefits were tangible.

“APEC is not just about the officials and delegates talking about technical issues, it’s all about wellbeing,” Christodulo said. Hosting APEC meetings “will help boost the economy, create a lot of jobs, and improve the quality of life of people.”

Outside the conference halls, delegates were offered five themed tours of Guangzhou, highlighting the city’s advances in technology, ecology, traditional culture, the circular economy, and rural revitalization.