APEC embraces data as new engine

Member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation have for the first time embraced the expanding role of data, reaching a consensus that it should be viewed not merely as a product of digitalization, but as an important resource for economic growth.

The consensus was reached at a high-level roundtable on "Data for Growth" during the APEC Digital Week 2026 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, where APEC member economies issued a chair's statement outlining priorities for deeper regional cooperation on data.

The move comes as China vows to go beyond regulating data to using data for greater innovation and economic growth.

In reaching the consensus, the APEC member economies called for a more open and enabling environment for data development, wider use of data-driven innovation and stronger connectivity and cooperation among APEC economies.

Liu Liehong, head of China's National Data Administration, said that the consensus embraced the rapid evolution of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and steered APEC's data dialogue from "managing data" to "using data".

"While continuing to prioritize privacy protection, cross-border data flow rules and security, more efforts should be made to broaden the focus to cover the entire data life cycle — from data supply and circulation to application and value creation for economic growth," Liu said.

He noted that international cooperation on data among APEC economies offers vast market opportunities and tremendous growth potential, opening up a new pathway to inclusive growth and shared prosperity.

"China is ready to work with all APEC economies to uphold openness and inclusiveness, strengthen mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly unlock the value of data," he added.

The latest statistics from the National Data Administration showed that China generated 52.26 zettabytes of data in 2025, up 27.28 percent year-on-year. Roughly one in every four bytes of data generated worldwide originated in China, with enterprises contributing about 90 percent of the increase in the country's data output.

Satvinder Singh, deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN Economic Community, said: "Digital cooperation has become one of the fastest-growing pillars between China and Southeast Asia. … The two sides have strengthened cooperation mechanisms covering digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital innovation and emerging technologies."

Singh said that future opportunities included data centers, cloud computing, cross-border digital trade, trusted data governance, intelligent manufacturing and digital skills training.

For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and many other developing economies, he said, the priority is not simply to build the largest or most advanced AI models, but to apply the technology in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and public services.

"The key to future AI competition will not only be who develops the most advanced model, but who can turn the technology into real improvements in people's lives and economic development," Singh said.

China has also demonstrated the potential of AI to support the real economy by integrating the technology into areas including agriculture, education and healthcare, he added.

Notably, multinational companies are also seeking to turn China's vast industrial data into practical AI applications.

Zhou Xinhong, vice-president of HP China, said that China has now become an important testing ground for industry-specific AI applications.

"China's manufacturing base generates large volumes of specialized data in sectors including electric vehicles, logistics, healthcare and industrial production. Those advantages could allow multinational companies to develop AI applications in China and later replicate them in other markets," he said.

Zhou also noted that the combination of industrial scale, digital infrastructure and willingness to adopt AI has created a market that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.