APEC Senior Officials' Meeting brings delegates to China's northeast

China is hosting the Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials' Meeting and related meetings in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, from August 17 to 28, as the APEC "China Year" moves forward with cooperation efforts across various fields.

Representatives from APEC economies held in-depth discussions on issues including trade, transportation, technology and energy, while also visiting local industries to learn more about development in northeast China.

The meeting marked the third round of APEC senior officials' meetings and related meetings hosted by China this year, following gatherings in Guangzhou in February and Shanghai in May.

Dalian, a key gateway for China's northeast region, showcased its industrial strengths during the event. Ship models displayed at the Dalian International Conference Center highlighted the city's capabilities in shipbuilding and marine engineering. Delegates also visited manufacturing sites and explored local industries through three specially designed tour routes covering shipbuilding, modern fisheries, high-tech industries and historical heritage.

"China's development has been very rapid, with industrial transformation taking place at a remarkable pace," said America Zamora, director of the Institute for Economic and Business Research at Michoacana University of San Nicolas de Hidalgo in Mexico. "Dalian is a very beautiful city, fashionable and modern, with great charm. It has a rich cultural heritage while also embracing modernization and technology."

"I had never been to this part of China before. The tremendous development here has impressed me greatly, and the arrangements for the APEC meeting have been excellent," said a representative from Thailand's Department of Trade Negotiations.

Jose Carlos, deputy director of the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies at Peru's Universidad del Pacifico, said Dalian demonstrated the success of China's opening up. "This is also development experience that China can share with other economies," he said.

Since China assumed the APEC host role, the APEC "China Year" activities have drawn strong international participation, with cooperation advancing across various fields and laying a solid foundation for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen in November.

Sheng Bin, vice president of Nankai University, said APEC's cooperation model was distinctive as it was based on voluntary participation. "In addition to trade and investment issues, APEC places strong emphasis on economic and technological cooperation, which is of great significance in promoting common prosperity and development in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

"APEC is an important platform for discussing and advancing the international agenda," said Rodrigo Gallardo, secretary-general of Chile's Fruits Exporters Association "China is playing a key role in advancing strategic agendas and various strategic pillars."

Ir Denny Ng Kok Sum, dean and professor at Sunway University's School of Engineering and Technology in Malaysia, praised China's role as both a participant and host of the APEC activities. "China is very advanced in many areas, such as artificial intelligence and industrial automation," he said. "We can learn from China and introduce these technologies for use in our own country."