China's 3rd APEC hosting comes amid push for opening-up's next frontier, says APEC secretariat chief

This photo taken on Nov. 11, 2026 shows an exterior view of the media center for the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Eduardo Pedrosa, executive director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, said China's further opening-up, including in areas such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), would create new opportunities for deeper cooperation across the Asia-Pacific and joint efforts to address technological change.

"China has been a great leader in this opening-up process," Pedrosa told Xinhua ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Shenzhen from Nov. 18 to 19.

He recalled that China joined APEC in 1991, as its reform and opening-up drive was gaining momentum. It hosted APEC for the first time in 2001, and again in 2014, when connectivity was one of the key priorities.

An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 20, 2026 shows a cargo ship sailing toward Yantian Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)

China's third time hosting APEC in 2026 comes as the country moves toward "the next frontier of opening-up," he said.

"This includes the digital economy and AI," he said. "How do we come together in that space to cooperate on how to move forward in an innovative way, but still safeguard our citizens? That involves not just cooperating with a set number, but all members of our region and globally as well."

China has identified openness, innovation and cooperation as the three priority areas for this year's APEC agenda. More than 300 meetings and events have been held around these priorities, with substantial progress made, Pedrosa said.

On openness, APEC has focused on issues including free trade, services trade and supply chain resilience, he said. In May, APEC ministers responsible for trade met in Suzhou and issued a joint statement outlining a consensus on how to move forward on trade policy issues. APEC subsequently held a series of policy dialogues on trade-related issues, including trade and e-commerce, and trade and labor, Pedrosa said.

Pedrosa said the progress on trade also demonstrated APEC's ability to "reach consensus on sometimes very difficult issues." "Trade is a very difficult set of issues at this time, but APEC trade ministers were able to come together, agree on a joint statement, and even plot a way forward on how APEC will address services trade, with a particular focus on innovation," he said.

On innovation, the digital economy and AI have been key topics, Pedrosa said. Discussions have covered the use of AI in agriculture, energy and education, as well as financing for digital infrastructure and workforce development.

One notable aspect, Pedrosa said, is that "these issues aren't limited to any one agency, but they are relevant across all different types of agencies." This reflects one of APEC's important roles: bringing together policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders from across the region.

On cooperation, Pedrosa identified inclusive development as one of this year's key achievements. APEC has explored ways to build more inclusive economies and enable women to participate more fully in economic activity. Economies have also discussed cooperation on energy and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 10, 2026 shows a view of Huanggang Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Pedrosa said he was looking forward to the leaders' meeting in Shenzhen.

"One of the reasons why we're having the leaders' meeting in Shenzhen is because it's a center of innovation for China, but also more globally, how the research and innovation work in Shenzhen can benefit the entire region and the rest of the world as well," he said.

Pedrosa said he hoped economies would have candid discussions on AI and sustainable growth, as well as pressing issues such as rising energy prices, inflation and fiscal policy, and explore opportunities for cooperation.

APEC economies collectively account for more than 60 percent of global GDP and around 40 percent of the world's population, Pedrosa noted, adding that "we have that critical mass to work together and find ways of dealing with the volatility and uncertainty."