Collaboration remains regional consensus: China Daily editorial

By seeking common ground for all parties to participate in economic and trade cooperation, the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on Friday and Saturday, reaffirmed support for the vision of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, with parties committed to advancing regional economic integration.

The meeting concluded with a new consensus reached on expanding digital trade cooperation, with substantive progress made on a framework document for regional digital trade cooperation and actively exploring new measures for green trade development. It also sent a message on advancing World Trade Organization reform and drew up a blueprint for services sector development over the next decade. These outcomes demonstrate that the region is still pursuing greater economic collaboration.

Participants in the meeting held candid, in-depth and constructive discussions and achieved fruitful results, with the issuance of a joint statement — the Suzhou Statement — and the approval of the APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services.

These outcomes show that regional economies remain committed to upholding the original intention of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitating the region's economic growth and prosperity. As Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng said in his speech at the meeting, only by adhering to win-win cooperation with mutual respect and trust can all APEC members promote common prosperity and achieve open, high-quality, balanced and safe development. China is willing to work with all parties to promote the process of regional economic integration pragmatically and flexibly, and inject more positive energy into the development of the Asia-Pacific and the global economy.

Elaborating on the outcomes of the meeting, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that China will continue to work with other economies to implement the important consensus reached at the meeting, facilitate further outcomes and consensus, and make positive contributions to the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting later this year.

China specifically established a platform for communication between trade ministers and the Asia-Pacific business community. Business participants offered many valuable opinions and suggestions, some of which were reflected in the meeting's outcomes.

Complementary activities such as capacity-building workshops were also organized, covering areas such as investment and trade facilitation, supply chain connectivity and trade digitalization. The aim was to help developing economies better integrate into the regional cooperation process and ensure that the people of the Asia-Pacific share the benefits of development.

The meeting also highlighted a cooperative approach to innovation. The Asia-Pacific is one of the most dynamic parts of the global economy, boasting a robust innovation ecosystem. During the meeting, participants also explored trade and investment cooperation related to artificial intelligence.

While recognizing these achievements, it needs to be pointed out that the region still faces challenges in translating words into action. As a regional economic cooperation forum, APEC follows a consensus-based decision-making process and lacks a binding dispute resolution mechanism.

Therefore, the Suzhou Statement represents a commitment and a cooperative orientation, with its implementation dependent on policy adjustments and concrete actions by the member economies. There are differences in the development levels of regional economies, as well as their industrial structures and policy objectives, and the current complex geopolitical environment also adds uncertainty to the execution of these outcomes.

Nevertheless, the achievements of the meeting are constructive. The Suzhou Statement provides direction for future cooperation, offers a platform for dialogue and consultation, and through dialogue and cooperation, it aims to resolve differences and jointly advance the construction of the Asia-Pacific community to a higher level.

The road from Suzhou to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is now paved with concrete deliverables. In a volatile world, the APEC trade ministers have shown that the antidote to fragmentation is not isolation and division but deeper, smarter, and more inclusive connectivity. That is a message of hope the entire world needs to hear.