China to host the 2026 APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting

China will host the 2026 APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on July 23, bringing together ministers from the Asia-Pacific's 21 economies as artificial intelligence emerges as a key driver of regional economic growth and digital cooperation.

According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the meeting — part of China's 2026 host year for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum — will be held under the theme "Digital and AI Technologies Empowering the Asia-Pacific Community".

Ministers are expected to discuss three key topics: leveraging digital and AI technologies for economic development, promoting universal and meaningful digital connectivity, and advancing digital inclusion and digital skills across the region.

More than 30 companies have registered to participate in the accompanying exhibitions and forums, including Meta Platforms, Google, Microsoft, Panasonic, Tencent, ZTE, Baidu, and Chinese robotics startup X Square Robot.

The gathering comes as global governments race to develop AI strategies amid intensifying competition over computing power, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure, while also grappling with questions surrounding AI governance and cybersecurity.

"Despite the security challenges posed by digital and AI technologies, their enormous potential to drive economic and social development is becoming increasingly evident," MIIT Vice-minister Xiong Jijun told a news conference.

"The Asia-Pacific remains a major engine of global economic growth," he said. "APEC economies should seize the opportunities presented by digital technologies and artificial intelligence and deepen practical cooperation on digital empowerment."

Zhang Xiaolei, deputy head of MIIT's department of international cooperation, said the meeting aims to deliver practical outcomes in three areas: identifying strategic opportunities arising from technological change, building consensus through mutually beneficial cooperation, and ensuring that the benefits of digital technologies and AI are shared more broadly across the region.

"Universal access and shared benefits are fundamental values underpinning digital and AI development," Zhang said. "APEC economies will strengthen cooperation in digital technologies and artificial intelligence, break down barriers to digital resources, promote cross-border connectivity, narrow the AI divide among member economies, and make digital services more equitable and inclusive."

China is hosting APEC for the third time this year under the overarching theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together", with digital transformation and artificial intelligence identified as key priorities alongside trade and regional economic integration.