Dalian meeting further boosts APEC cooperation

Senior officials and delegates attending the third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting in Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning province, called for stronger cooperation on artificial intelligence, free trade and regional economic integration as preparations intensified for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled in November in Shen­zhen, Guangdong province.

Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said at the opening ceremony on Thursday that the Dalian gathering was the largest of the three senior officials' meetings held during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation "China Year" and featured the most activities. It will review progress, advance cooperation and prepare for the leaders' meeting, he said.

Ma said the global economy is facing multiple challenges amid a turbulent international environment and the spillover effects of geopolitical conflicts, while rapid advances in AI and other emerging technologies are creating new growth drivers.

"The Asia-Pacific, as an anchor of global stability and an engine for global growth, shoulders greater responsibilities," he said, adding that China will work with other economies to take regional economic cooperation to a new level and contribute to global growth.

As this year's APEC host, China will focus on helping to advance the building of an Asia-Pacific community, securing new outcomes in trade, connectivity, innovation and development, and promoting practical cooperation and inclusive development, Ma said.

He added that the APEC leaders' Shenzhen Declaration will be the most important outcome of this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and that a draft was being prepared. China is also seeking new outcomes related to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, regional connectivity, the digital economy and AI.

Ma said that APEC should pay particular attention to the growth needs of developing economies and strengthen economic and technical cooperation, as well as capacity building.

Marco Balarezo, Peru's APEC senior official, said that China has demonstrated strong leadership as the host and described its proposals on AI, the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and other areas as comprehensive.

He said the Dalian meeting was a crucial stage in preparing for the leaders' meeting in Shenzhen, describing China's work in the region as "quite remarkable".

Jose Alberto Guadarrama Grimaldo, Mexico's APEC senior official, said the 21 economies were working together toward positive outcomes in Shenzhen and using the Dalian meeting to advance regional economic integration and digitalization.

He emphasized the benefits of free trade and regional economic integration, as well as support for a rules-based multilateral trading system. Guadarrama also cited customs procedures and paperless trade as areas where AI could help facilitate trade.

James Ding, chair of the APEC Economic Committee, said he has high expectations for the APEC "China Year", describing China as a leading economy in the development and application of AI.

He said the APEC Economic Committee was preparing a report on how AI could support digital transformation and structural reform across APEC economies. Other APEC committees are working on related deliverables that he said he expects to be announced at the leaders' meeting in Shenzhen.

Nicolas Miailhe, a board member of France-Pacific Territories Economic Cooperation Committee, said that China's AI capabilities and role as the APEC host could help take regional cooperation to a new level.

He noted that Chinese AI models were already being used worldwide. As AI becomes increasingly capable and autonomous, its potential and risks grow, making international cooperation essential because the technology "knows no borders", Miailhe added.

He called on economies at different levels of development to work toward shared classification frameworks, terminology and protocols for AI governance, while also strengthening capacity building.

Given the region's weight in trade and innovation and its role in the emerging global AI value chain, such cooperation could also generate benefits beyond the Asia-Pacific region, he added.