2026 would be remembered as the APEC "China Year", with leaders from 21 member economies gathering in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, in November. Against the backdrop of rising anti-globalization sentiment and trade protectionism, officials and experts said the meetings are expected to serve as Beijing's response, underscoring its support for openness and regional cooperation.

On Monday, the China Public Diplomacy Association hosted a salon in Beijing centered on the APEC "China Year". As China prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings for the third time, participants shared insights on the event's theme, priority areas and ongoing preparations surrounding the gathering.

Chen Xu, chair of the 2026 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, said at the salon that the theme for APEC "China Year" — "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together" — is a strong response to the current complex global turmoil. Guided by this theme, China will work with all parties to turn the goal of building an Asia-Pacific community into action, Chen said, adding that as this year's APEC host, China will push for an upgrade of regional connectivity.

"Connectivity is an important issue for the Asia-Pacific and global development, and a key means to unlock regional growth potential. Currently, it is necessary to take new measures on the existing basis and continue to deepen practical cooperation, and further tap the cooperation potential," Chen said. With the rapid development of digital technology, emerging fields such as data and artificial intelligence will also become important areas for future cooperation, he added.

"More than 300 meetings and events will be held throughout the year, including the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting and related meetings, as well as 11 ministerial meetings on trade, finance, digital economy and AI, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Key cooperation outcomes will be presented during the Economic Leaders' Meeting week in November," Chen said.

Deep participation of the business community is a feature of APEC cooperation. Wu Meng, director-general of the International Cooperation Department of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the council will host the APEC CEO Summit in Shenzhen in November, where important initiatives will be released, focusing on key issues including connectivity, green- and low-carbon transition, digital economy cooperation and supply chain cooperation.

Experts said APEC has unique value amid rising trade protectionism and anti-globalization trends, and can play multiple roles as a stabilizer, pressure valve and rule incubator against the backdrop of global geopolitical turmoil and challenges to the world economic growth.

The international situation has been turbulent since the beginning of this year. The International Monetary Fund released its latest World Economic Outlook on April 14, lowering its global growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent, below last year's 3.4 percent. Its regional economic outlook showed that Asia's economic growth is expected to slow from 5 percent in 2025 to 4.4 percent this year.

Liu Chenyang, director of the APEC Study Center at Nankai University, said APEC has the ability to play a diverse role in the face of international and regional challenges. Liu said that through more than 30 years of institutional accumulation, APEC has "maintained the basic framework of regional cooperation in a complex geopolitical environment, enabling members to continue to advance agreed cooperation goals despite differences".

Liu said although APEC is an economic forum, it can not only discuss Asia-Pacific affairs but also serve as a multilateral diplomatic stage for international affairs. He cited the bilateral meeting between the Chinese and US presidents during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan, South Korea, last year as an example, saying APEC is not only a platform for economic cooperation but also provides high-level dialogue for communication among major countries, helping to ease tensions and promote practical consultations.

Impetus for talks

Regarding APEC's role as an incubator for international economic and trade rules, Liu said APEC has provided impetus for multilateral negotiations on issues such as environmental goods and trade facilitation.

"Amid uncertainties in global governance, APEC is also expected to fill gaps in rules in emerging areas such as digital economy and artificial intelligence, and help form new international cooperation norms," Liu said.

As the Asia-Pacific economy plays an increasingly stronger role in global growth, deepening regional cooperation and promoting the building of an Asia-Pacific community will not only help regional development but also provide support for global economic stability, Liu said.

Zhang Jianping, vice-chairman of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, said he was looking forward to more consensus on regional economic integration and digital development, and making good use of various free trade agreements to boost trade, investment and employment growth.

This will help to strengthen Asia-Pacific cooperation in global supply and value chains, and to better cope with the impact of decoupling, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical conflicts, he said.

Houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn