Shanghai, May 18, 2026
Senior Officials,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon!
It is a great pleasure to see you again. I wish to begin with a warm welcome to you all to the Second Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of APEC 2026.
Last November, China took over as the APEC host, and APEC cooperation has since entered “China Time.” With the joint efforts of all member economies, APEC cooperation has achieved new progress.
At the Informal SOM in Shenzhen, we reaffirmed APEC’s founding mission, set the theme for 2026 as “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together,” and identified the three priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation, formally kicking off the APEC “China Year.”
At the First SOM in Guangzhou, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in addressing the opening session, called on all parties to work together to prepare a substantive list of outcomes for the Leaders’ Meeting. In a spirit of cooperation, APEC members had in-depth discussions on topics such as trade and investment, connectivity, digital economy, and innovation-driven growth, and came up with a series of outcome ideas and work plans.
Today, the baton of the APEC “China Year” reaches Shanghai. This SOM is for both reviewing previous work and preparing for the next step. We will have a mid-year stocktaking, refine the outcomes, and put together “early harvests” to prepare the ground for the Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen.
We live in a world fraught with change and turbulence. Rising unilateralism and protectionism, spillovers of geopolitical conflicts, and worsening energy and food crises have cast a shadow on global economic prospects. Defying external risks and challenges, the Asia-Pacific has maintained the momentum of fast development, and its status as the growth engine of the world is even more prominent.
At last year’s APEC meetings in Gyeongju, President Xi Jinping stated that China will follow the trend of the times, listen to the call of APEC members, and work together to build an Asia-Pacific community, so as to further boost peace and development in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world. This statement has pointed out the direction of cooperation during the APEC “China Year.” Focusing on this year’s theme and priorities, the Chinese side is making active preparations for the outcomes of the Leader’s Meeting. By envisioning a road map toward an Asia-Pacific community in the APEC Shenzhen Leaders’ Declaration, we aim to deliver concrete outcomes in trade, connectivity, innovation and development, and establish a cooperation framework for collective actions among APEC members.
First, actively exploring the pathway toward the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). FTAAP is a shared APEC vision for regional economic integration, and also an important commitment reaffirmed in a series of outcome documents. We should ensure FTAAP serves as the main channel and, by coordinating different free trade pathways, pursue flexible and pragmatic cooperation and enhance the parties’ capacity of joining high-standard regional economic and trade arrangements. At the same time, we should continue to support the rules-based multilateral trading system, and foster an open, predictable regional and multilateral economic order. China will work toward a document on FTAAP. We look forward to discussions at the upcoming Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Suzhou to build greater consensus. China will also promote concrete and practical outcomes in such areas as trade digitization, cooperation in the service sector, and the list of environmental goods, with a view to advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.
Second, raising the level of connectivity in APEC. Connectivity is an important foundation of regional economic integration and will provide favorable conditions for interconnected development among economies. On the basis of the final review of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint (2015-2025), we should strive to formulate an upgraded blueprint. China has circulated a concept note, and looks forward to an early agreement. China will also push for a number of initiatives and outcomes in such areas as smart customs, smart transportation, tourism facilitation and the APEC Business Travel Card, to advance physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity in coordination with other parties.
Third, fostering new drivers of digital and intelligent growth. With the extensive application of AI and other emerging technologies, innovation is now playing an ever more prominent role in driving economic development. We should build on existing cooperation and develop a road map for innovation-driven growth through AI and digital economy. China will host APEC Digital Weeks activities in Chengdu in July and a digital economy and AI policy dialogue later, and is considering practical initiatives or platforms in data-driven growth, digital technology empowerment, open innovation ecosystem, and other areas. We look forward to the active participation and experience sharing of all parties to promote the alignment of technical standards and commercialization of innovation outcomes, and enable digital and intelligent technologies to empower all sectors of the economy.
Fourth, improving people’s well-being through cooperation. We should uphold the positioning of APEC as a platform for regional economic cooperation, prioritize economic development and better lives for the people, increase the sense of gain of different groups and ordinary people, and garner more public support for an Asia-Pacific community. A few days ago, the APEC Women and the Economy Forum was held, with much consensus reached on empowering women’s development. Next, ministerial meetings in different areas will also be held. China has been preparing for a number of deliverables in areas including energy security and accessibility, food resilience, SMEs, human resources, anti-corruption cooperation, youth exchanges, and health and population aging. We look forward to the active support and participation of all parties and joint efforts to ensure the success of the following ministerial meetings.
Trade, connectivity, innovation, and development are highly compatible with the three priorities of the APEC “China Year” as well as Putrajaya Vision 2040. They are mutually reinforcing; together, they underpin the Asia-Pacific community. China will prepare the outcome documents for the Leaders’ Meeting based on these four pillars, and we look forward to your constructive discussion and insights.
Colleagues,
We are almost halfway through the APEC “China Year.” China will work with all members to act with a strong sense of mission and a sense of urgency, build consensus, and move in the same direction, so as to make good arrangements for a successful APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, and contribute to the building of an Asia-Pacific community.
I wish this SOM a full success.
Thank you.
