Commentary: Why is this APEC meeting so noteworthy
The Asia Pacific family once again welcomes an important moment. From October 31st to November 1st, leaders and representatives from 21 economies in the Asia Pacific region will gather in Gyeongju, South Korea to attend the 32nd Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Informal Meeting on the theme of "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow". Against the backdrop of uncertainty in global economic growth, rising protectionism, and accelerated technological change, how can we write the 'Asia Pacific Tomorrow'? The concepts of "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese solutions" have become one of the focal points of attention for the outside world at this APEC meeting.
At the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, President Xi Jinping proposed to jointly build the next "golden thirty years" of Asia Pacific development. Not long ago, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the "15th Five Year Plan" proposal, which is highly in line with the development needs of the Asia Pacific region in the next 30 years. The initiatives proposed in the planning proposal, such as actively expanding independent opening up, promoting trade innovation and development, expanding space for two-way investment cooperation, and jointly building the "the Belt and Road" with high quality, will certainly open up broader space for cooperation between China and Asia Pacific economies.
Today's Asia Pacific region accounts for one-third of the world's population, over 60% of the world's total economy, and nearly half of its total trade volume. The achievement of this result cannot be separated from the opportunities brought by economic globalization to the Asia Pacific region. History and practice have repeatedly proven that open cooperation and integrated development are the key keys to creating the 'Asia Pacific miracle'. As the highest level, widest range, and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia Pacific region, APEC has continuously made progress in promoting regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, driving the region to achieve great development, prosperity, and integration, and helping the Asia Pacific become the most dynamic sector and major growth engine of the global economy.
The greater significance of APEC is that it is turning the world's widest ocean into a 'sea of cooperation' and a 'sea of connectivity'. At present, the world is standing at a new crossroads, with geopolitical rifts tearing apart the integrity of industrial chains. The noise of "decoupling and chain breaking" and "small courtyards with high walls" is occasionally piercing, and Asia Pacific countries are facing common challenges that transcend national borders. Any unilateral or factional approach is not helpful in solving the problem. The significance of APEC lies in reaffirming a basic common sense: the prosperity of the Asia Pacific is rooted in cooperation, not confrontation. What we need is not the so-called 'Indo Pacific strategy' that creates division and incites confrontation, but a 'Asia Pacific community with a shared future' that embraces all members. The spirit of openness and inclusiveness represented by APEC is the optimal solution to address common challenges and the correct choice to draw the largest concentric circle.
At present, China is in a critical period of Chinese path to modernization. The high-quality development and high-level opening up pursued by Chinese path to modernization will create unprecedented opportunities for the Asia Pacific region. A super large market with a population of over 1.4 billion is moving towards a higher quality, greener, and smarter development stage, which will provide sustained, stable, and expanding market demand for APEC members. China's innovative practices in areas such as new energy, artificial intelligence, and digital economy will also provide strong technological support for the industrial transformation and upgrading of the Asia Pacific region. A stable, prosperous, and open China is the most reliable stabilizer for the Asia Pacific economic giant.
More importantly, the vitality of APEC lies in its adherence to true multilateralism. As a staunch supporter and active promoter of Asia Pacific regional cooperation, China's advocacy of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is highly compatible with the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation upheld by APEC. The four global initiatives proposed by China provide important public goods and implementation pathways for the comprehensive implementation of the "openness, vitality, resilience, and peace" goals outlined in the 2040 Putrajaya Vision. The practice of Chinese path to modernization and the implementation of the four major global initiatives will continue to contribute stability and certainty to the Asia Pacific region. China has always advocated for inclusive economic globalization and is an activist committed to common prosperity in the Asia Pacific region.
China is about to take over as the host of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2026, which will also be China's third time in this role. This is not only a high recognition of China's development achievements and cooperation sincerity by Asia Pacific economies, but also implies greater responsibility and commitment. As the economies of the Asia Pacific region work together to pave the way for development, the picture of the next "golden thirty years" is slowly unfolding. China will continue to promote high-level opening-up during the 15th Five Year Plan period, resonating with APEC's vision of building a "sustainable tomorrow". In this era full of challenges and opportunities, may the Asia Pacific family work together with wisdom and courage to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.