Digital cooperation to empower Asia-Pacific MSMEs

Editor's note: The recent 2026 APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting adopted a ministerial statement in which all parties agreed to jointly promote digital and artificial intelligence technologies to empower the Asia-Pacific community. China Economic Times spoke to Wang Jian, a member of the expert committee of the APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance, on the future of regional cooperation. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

For most members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation mechanism, development remains the fundamental objective. Against this backdrop, the meeting identified technological empowerment and industrial upgrading as key areas of consensus. This pragmatic approach reflects the realities of the region, focuses on the broadest common ground for digital cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and lays a solid foundation for deeper collaboration.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises account for more than half of the trade and jobs across the Asia-Pacific, which makes them the primary beneficiaries of digital transformation. However, many such companies and businesses in remote areas have long struggled to join the digital economy because of the high investment required for digital systems, a shortage of technical professionals and inadequate network and computing infrastructure in less-developed regions.

The ministerial statement addresses these challenges by promoting lightweight digital tools, expanding access to computing and communications infrastructure and improving digital literacy across societies.

The statement also emphasizes improving internet accessibility in rural and remote areas and for vulnerable groups, aiming to overcome the geographical limitations facing the digital economy. As digital connectivity expands and digital skills become more widely available, economies at different stages of development and businesses located in different regions will be better positioned to participate equally in the Asia-Pacific marketplace.

The inclusion of open-source cooperation in the statement is a forward-looking breakthrough and provides a new pathway for inclusive and mutually beneficial AI industry collaboration in the region.

Open-source collaboration is a cost-effective channel through which developing economies can gain access to foundational AI technologies. In effect, it enables businesses and institutions embarking on digital and intelligent transformation to adopt AI applications more rapidly while offering a practical solution for narrowing the regional digital divide.

Security and development are mutually reinforcing. As the digital economy continues to expand, cross-border data flows, technological cooperation and trade become increasingly frequent, making robust security frameworks more essential than ever.

By building consensus on cybersecurity, data security and supply chain resilience, the statement builds on APEC's achievements in digital cooperation and addresses the shared concerns of member economies. In doing so, it provides greater confidence for businesses engaged in regional digital trade and technological collaboration. The meeting has also strengthened expectations for enhanced collaboration on AI governance and rulemaking within the APEC framework.