CGTN: How can the Asia-Pacific prosper through openness, innovation and cooperation?

Ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, CGTN published an article highlighting China's efforts as the 2026 host to advance regional openness, innovation and cooperation. The article examines how China's practical contributions are helping deepen economic ties, expand development opportunities and promote shared prosperity across the Asia-Pacific.

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shenzhen's imports and exports with other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies reached 3.23 trillion yuan ($484.2 billion) in the first three quarters of 2026, up 40% year on year, the highest among cities on the Chinese mainland, according to Shenzhen Customs.

The city will host this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 18 and 19, marking China's third time hosting the gathering. Chinese President Xi Jinping will chair the meeting and deliver remarks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. He will also deliver a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit, which will be held in Shenzhen on November 17 and 18.

Under the theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together," this year's APEC meeting has set three priorities: openness, innovation and cooperation.

Opening up creates opportunities beyond borders

"China's door to the world will not close; it will only open wider and wider," President Xi has said, reaffirming the country's commitment to high-standard opening up and creating new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific and the world through Chinese modernization.

China is widening market access, opening more sectors to foreign investment and improving its business environment. Its growing trade and investment ties with regional partners are also supporting local manufacturing, jobs and supply chains.

In Thailand, BYD's Rayong plant, which began operations in July 2024, has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, with more than 90% of its workforce coming from Thailand. In Indonesia, SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) has created over 20,000 direct and indirect local jobs and partnered with more than 100 local suppliers, propelling the upgrading and development of Indonesia's automotive industry.

These business links are part of broader efforts to deepen regional economic integration. China is promoting the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), pursuing accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and supporting the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), whose initiative marks its 20th anniversary this year.

Benjamin Rae, senior economist at the Office of the United Nations Coordinator in China, said China's opening up creates opportunities for regional partners through stronger production networks and access to its growing market. It is also helping shift regional cooperation beyond goods trade toward deeper value creation.

Turning priorities into practical cooperation

Amid trade tensions, supply chain disruptions and sluggish global growth, China has worked with APEC members to turn the three priorities into concrete cooperation results through more than 300 meetings and events this year.

At a trade ministers' meeting in Suzhou in May, APEC economies agreed to promote paperless trade and cross-border recognition of electronic trade documents. A follow-up dialogue in Dalian brought governments and businesses together to address legal and technical barriers to their use. At July's APEC high-level forum on AI in Chengdu, a joint statement was issued on AI safety, responsible applications and capacity building. In Shenzhen, APEC forestry ministers agreed to strengthen sustainable forest management and combat illegal logging in July.

"The rougher the seas, the more we must pull together," Xi has said, calling on APEC members to champion open development, share opportunities and promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University, drew on the Pacific's history to highlight the importance of keeping regional ties open. "The sea had rivals, but it never had walls," he said. "Prosperity was built by crossing lines, not guarding them."

The professor warned that bloc confrontation could force economies deeply connected through trade to choose sides, driving up costs and disrupting supply chains.

APEC economies account for roughly half of global trade, alongside over 60% of global GDP and about 40% of the world's population. As APEC leaders meet in Shenzhen, their choices will resonate far beyond the region, shaping how economies navigate global challenges and pursue shared prosperity through openness, innovation and cooperation.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-11-13/How-can-Asia-Pacific-prosper-through-openness-innovation-cooperation-1S23K5JTsqc/p.html