China to host APEC SOM3 and related meetings in Dalian

China will host the Third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM3) and related meetings in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, from August 17 to 28, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Guo said the event will be the largest SOM of APEC China 2026 in terms of both participant numbers and number of events. It is expected to advance cooperation across APEC mechanisms and sectors and help prepare for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for November.

According to Guo, the meeting series will include the SOM plenary session, committee meetings, working group meetings and seminars covering a wide range of areas, including trade, transportation, food security, customs, science and technology, energy, health, disaster risk reduction and anti-corruption.

Nearly 130 meetings and events are scheduled during the gathering. More than 2,300 representatives from APEC member economies, the APEC Secretariat, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) are expected to attend.

2026 marks the third time China has served as APEC host, under the theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together." The Dalian meetings are part of a series of APEC events leading up to the economic leaders' meeting later this year.