APEC China CEO Forum highlights digital trade, AI and Asia-Pacific connectivity

The Asia-Pacific region continues to stand out as the world's most dynamic economic zone, leading in both trade volume and technological progress amid sweeping digital transformation. 

Digital trade, in particular, emerged as a core agenda item at this year's APEC China CEO Forum, a gathering where policymakers and business leaders convened to discuss regional economic integration, connectivity and digital innovation.

The flagship business event was held in Beijing on Sunday. Themed "Openness, Connectivity, Synergy: Linking the Asia-Pacific for a Shared Future," it also coincided with APEC China Year and was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

According to International Business Daily, Asia-Pacific digital trade reached $19.7 trillion in 2026, accounting for 51.6% of global trade, further underscoring the region's role as a global hub for digital economic innovation.

CCPIT: New wave of tech revolution accelerating

Building on this momentum, Ren Hongbin, chairman of the CCPIT, noted that a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, driven especially by rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasized that these changes are reshaping global resource allocation and industrial development models, while opening up significant new opportunities for cooperation across the Asia-Pacific.

Echoing this perspective, Chen Xu, president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, highlighted the importance of building a competitive and open innovation ecosystem, and of driving a broader, system-wide boost in productivity.

At the multilateral level, discussions at the recent APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting further reinforced this direction.

Multilateral consensus reached at APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting

Eduardo Pedrosa, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, said members agreed to deepen practical consultations on issues such as digital trade, trade facilitation, small and micro enterprises and competition policy.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chenghua, the deputy international trade representative at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, pointed out that the meeting also featured a series of capacity-building and thematic workshops covering investment facilitation, trade facilitation, supply chain connectivity and digital trade that are supporting businesses in exploring cooperation through more structured dialogue.

From the business community's perspective, Li Fanrong, chairman of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and chairman of China Sinochem Holdings, said that technological change is accelerating, with AI exerting a particularly strong impact on industrial structures. 

He added that this year's discussions are focusing on AI applications in industry and sustainable development, while also calling for a stable and predictable environment for digital trade.

Similarly, Brett O'Riley, ABAC New Zealand representative and CEO of an Auckland-based governance consultancy, stressed that efforts in digital trade should prioritize the responsible development and use of AI, while fully unlocking the potential of generative artificial intelligence.