Remarks by Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong at the NZCC/Auckland Business Chamber APEC Breakfast Briefing
Chair John McKinnon,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Kia Ora, Good morning!
It is a pleasure to gather with friends from the business community. As the host to APEC 2026, China is fully committed to preparing for this annual exercise of the premier economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific, which boasts the highest level of rep., broadest coverage of areas of cooperation, and greatest influence both economically and politically in the region. I would like to take this opportunity to brief you on China's preparations and progress for hosting APEC 2026. We look forward to working hand in hand with the New Zealand business community to seize new opportunities for Asia-Pacific cooperation.
In November last year, China officially took over. This is the third time China has hosted APEC, following 2001 and 2014. We have set the theme for 2026 as "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together", which is consistent with the major concepts President Xi Jinping has put forward, such as a community with a shared future for mankind, a community with a shared future for neighbors, and a community with a shared future for the Asia-Pacific. This theme fully aligns with the original purpose and vision of APEC, reflects the common will of APEC members, and has received unanimous agreement and broad support from all APEC members. Meanwhile, it is also consistent with the themes of the meetings when China hosted APEC in 2001 and 2014, demonstrating our consistent position and firm determination to advance Asia-Pacific cooperation.
We have identified three priority areas: "Openness, Innovation, and Cooperation." Openness means building an open economy, opposing protectionism, promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and advancing the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) with concrete actions. Innovation means adhering to innovation-driven development and fostering new quality productive forces, with a focus on reaching more consensus in artificial intelligence and the digital economy and bridging the digital divide. Cooperation means promoting policy alignment and experience sharing, and strengthening practical cooperation in such areas as finance, food security, energy, and small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve win-win outcomes.
Centering on this year's theme and priority areas, China is actively preparing the outcomes of the Leaders' Meeting. We will use the "APEC Leaders' Shenzhen Declaration" as a platform to set out a roadmap toward the goal of an Asia-Pacific community, build concrete outcomes in trade, connectivity, innovation, and development, and establish a cooperation framework for collective action by APEC members.
First, we will actively explore pathways to realizing the FTAAP. Building the FTAAP is a shared vision of APEC in advancing regional economic integration and an important commitment reiterated in previous outcome documents. We should uphold the primary channel status of the FTAAP, coordinate different free trade pathways, conduct cooperation in a flexible and pragmatic manner, and enhance the capacity of all parties to participate in high-standard regional economic and trade arrangements. At the same time, we should continue to support the rules-based multilateral trading system and build an open, predictable regional and multilateral economic and trade order. China will promote concrete and practical outcomes in APEC trade digitalization, services cooperation, and the environmental goods list, thereby boosting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.
Second, we will enhance APEC connectivity. Connectivity is an important foundation for regional economic integration and will create favorable conditions for the interconnected development of all economies. China will work to formulate an upgraded version of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint, promote a series of initiatives and outcomes in areas such as smart customs, smart transportation, travel facilitation, and the APEC Business Travel Card, and coordinate with all parties to advance hardware connectivity, software connectivity, and people-to-people connectivity.
Third, we will foster new drivers of growth in digitalization and intelligent transformation. With the wide application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, innovation plays an increasingly prominent role in driving economic development. China will work to formulate a "Roadmap for Innovation-Driven Growth Powered by AI and the Digital Economy" and create a series of practical initiatives or platforms in areas such as data-driven growth, digital technology empowerment, and an open innovation ecosystem
Fourth, we will promote people's well-being through cooperation. We will focus cooperation on economic development and the improvement of people's livelihoods, increase the sense of gain for different groups and the general public, and build broad-based support among the people for an Asia-Pacific community. China is preparing a number of practical outcomes in relevant fields, covering energy security and access, food resilience, SME development, human resources development, anti-corruption cooperation, youth exchanges, and healthy aging.
Regarding the progress of preparations: In February and May, China successfully held two Senior Officials' Meetings in Guangzhou and Shanghai. In August, the third Senior Officials' Meeting will be held in Dalian. From May to October, more than ten sectoral ministerial meetings have been or will be held in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, and other cities, covering energy, transportation, digital economy, food security, human resources, trade, finance, tourism, SMEs, women, and other fields. Throughout the year, approximately 300 APEC meetings and events will be held in multiple Chinese cities, building momentum toward the informal leaders' meeting in Shenzhen in November.
China and New Zealand are comprehensive strategic partners. Our economic and trade cooperation has always been a model of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation. New Zealand is one of the founding members of APEC and has long played an active role in promoting regional economic integration. As the host of APEC this year, China has received strong support and close cooperation from New Zealand, for which we express our gratitude.
The APEC "China Year" coincides with the first year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan." China will further deepen reforms across the board, continue to expand high-standard opening up, and provide new opportunities for the development of the Asia-Pacific and the world through new achievements in Chinese modernization. As the host, China will build on the existing consensus and outcomes of APEC and make new contributions to advancing Asia-Pacific cooperation. The New Zealand business community has long been deeply engaged in the Chinese market and possesses unique advantages in agriculture, dairy products, and technological innovation. I hope that friends from the New Zealand business community will actively participate in the activities of the APEC "China Year," especially the CEO Summit in Shenzhen in November. This is not only an excellent platform for learning about the latest trends in Asia-Pacific cooperation, but also a rare opportunity to expand into the Chinese market and seize Asia-Pacific business opportunities.
Let us join hands to build an Asia-Pacific community and share new opportunities for regional prosperity!
Thank you all!
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