China kicks off APEC 'China Year' with focus on shared prosperity

China formally launched its APEC "China Year" with the first APEC Senior Officials' Meeting held in the southern coastal city of Guangzhou from February 1 to 10, bringing together more than 1,400 delegates from member economies and setting the tone for a year centered on building an Asia-Pacific community and promoting common prosperity.

What is the theme of APEC 'China Year'?

China has proposed "Building an Asia-Pacific Community To Prosper Together" as the overarching theme for the year, a proposal unanimously endorsed by APEC members at an informal senior officials' meeting in December.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said the theme aligns with the vision of a community with a shared future and fully reflects APEC's founding purpose and long-term aspirations.

Hazami Habib, CEO of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said the theme fits APEC's strategic vision and connects closely with existing action plans, helping drive deeper cooperation.

What are the priority areas of cooperation?

Responding to new opportunities and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific, China has identified openness, innovation and cooperation as three priority areas.

Openness focuses on building an open economy and opposing protectionism by advancing trade and investment liberalization. Innovation emphasizes innovation-driven growth and the development of new quality productive forces. Cooperation refers to leveraging comparative advantages among members through policy coordination and experience sharing to achieve win-win outcomes.

How are meetings arranged throughout the year?

The highlight of APEC "China Year" will be APEC Economic Leaders' Week in November in Shenzhen, featuring the APEC CEO Summit and the joint ministerial meeting of foreign and trade ministers, and culminating in the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 18-19.

In total, around 300 events will be held throughout the year. Senior Officials' Meetings, the main channel for advancing APEC cooperation and preparing deliverables for the Leaders' Meeting, will also take place in May in Shanghai and August in Dalian. From May to October, about 10 thematic ministerial meetings will be convened nationwide, covering areas such as energy, transport, digital economy, food security, human resources, trade, finance, tourism, small and medium-sized enterprises and women's affairs.

What are the key tasks?

China outlined several key priorities at the first Senior Officials' Meeting. It reaffirmed a shared goal of revitalizing Asia-Pacific cooperation and delivering a forward-looking leaders' outcome document; exploring pathways toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and an upgraded connectivity blueprint; accelerating digital, intelligent and green transformation through innovation; and deepening inclusive, multi-sector cooperation that reflects the diversity of APEC members.

The meeting generated concrete cooperation proposals across fields including food security, energy, science and technology, anti-corruption, people-to-people exchanges, health and customs, according to Chen Xu, chair of the 2026 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting.

What is China's relationship with APEC?

China joined APEC in 1991 and has played an active role in promoting practical cooperation and an open Asia-Pacific economy. It previously hosted APEC in Shanghai in 2001, ahead of its WTO accession, and in Beijing in 2014, when members pledged to build a future-oriented Asia-Pacific partnership.

In 2026, China will host APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, marking its third time as host. The APEC "China Year" logo, featuring a soaring bird formed by 21 interwoven wings, symbolizes riding the momentum of the times and advancing together. Coinciding with the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, the host year is expected to showcase how China's modernization can create fresh opportunities for the region and the world.