China has positioned its hosting of the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting as a pivotal moment for reinforcing regional collaboration and countering global economic headwinds. Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, speaking at the conclusion of the first APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Guangzhou, emphasized that China’s role extends beyond the Asia-Pacific, serving as a critical stabilizer for the international economic order.
The 2026 summit, scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen, will carry the theme “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together.” This marks the third time China has hosted the event, following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014. Vice-Minister Ma outlined three core priorities for the APEC “China Year”: fostering openness, promoting innovation, and deepening cooperation. He explicitly denounced protectionism and unilateralism, advocating instead for trade liberalization and investment facilitation.
Amid what he described as a landscape of ‘transformation and turbulence,’ Ma stressed the urgency of innovation-driven development. He highlighted the need to cultivate new productive forces and generate fresh growth drivers across member economies. Chen Xu, Chair of the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting, provided logistical details, noting that approximately 300 events are planned throughout the year. These will include ministerial-level meetings covering trade, digital economy, energy, food security, and finance, among other sectors. Additional senior officials’ meetings are slated for Shanghai in May and Dalian in August.