APEC meeting sees consensus on cooperation

Practical cooperation has been made in areas such as anti-corruption, oceans and fisheries, food security, health and energy at the just-concluded Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting in Dalian, Liaoning province, with an initiative aimed at promoting integrity for a prosperous Asia-Pacific region agreed upon, a senior Chinese official said in the coastal city on Friday.

Building on the outcomes of the meeting, preparations for the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in November would enter a new and important stage, said Chen Xu, chair of the 2026 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, at a news briefing.

Following the Dalian meeting, which took place between Aug 17 and Friday, Chen said China would maintain close communication with all parties and advance all aspects of the preparations in an orderly manner.

Officials, who attended the meeting in Dalian, explored how artificial intelligence could boost economic growth, improve people's well-being and bridge the digital divide, he said, adding that discussions also covered data flows and regulatory alignment.

According to Chen, the third senior officials' meeting was the last such meeting held separately before the Shenzhen gathering, and the largest so far this year in terms of attendance and the number of events. More than 100 meetings and activities covering trade, transportation, food security, energy and health, among other areas, drew over 3,000 representatives.

Since the launch of 2026 APEC "China Year", over 300 meetings and activities have been held, attracting almost 7,000 participants, Chen said.

"Consensus on cooperation is building, and the momentum for cooperation is growing," he said, adding that these efforts had laid a solid foundation for the success of the economic leaders' meeting.

Looking ahead, Chen said APEC economies should remain true to the forum's founding commitment to cooperation and focus firmly on building an Asia-Pacific community, draw up a road map based on four pillars — trade, connectivity, innovation and development — and work toward an ambitious Shenzhen Declaration.

He added that officials held dedicated consultations on outcome documents related to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

Ahead of the November meeting, China will also host ministerial meetings covering small and medium-sized enterprises, energy, human resources development, transportation and finance, Chen said.

He added that the participants responded positively to China's proposals and preparations, and that they were ready to work with the host economy to deepen cooperation, contribute to a successful economic leaders' meeting, and promote regional development and prosperity.

Marat Berdyev, Russia's APEC senior official, said that work under China's APEC chairmanship was progressing well on openness, cooperation and innovation, and would help chart the forum's course in the years ahead.

Berdyev said that Russian government officials and business representatives viewed the Shenzhen meeting as an opportunity to expand cooperation with economies across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly with China.

Carlos Kuriyama, director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, described the series of APEC meetings and related events held in Dalian over the past 12 days as highly productive.

"It's been very challenging to discuss many things in a short time span," Kuriyama said, adding that the discussions had been substantive.

He expressed hope that the discussions would produce a high-quality outcome by the time the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting convenes in Shenzhen.