APEC business summit to issue first advocacy document in Shenzhen
The APEC CEO Summit will be held on 17-18 November in Shenzhen, with President Xi Jinping and leaders from 11 APEC economies attending. China Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce Li Qingshuang said the summit will for the first time issue an advocacy document, the '2026 APEC CEO Summit Sh
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit will be held on 17-18 November at the Qianhai International Conference Centre in Shenzhen, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders from 11 APEC economies will attend, delivering speeches, addresses or participating in panel discussions. Xi will deliver a keynote speech at the summit's opening ceremony.
Li Qingshuang, Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for the Promotion of International Trade, said the other participating economies are Australia, Canada, Chile, China's Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. More than 2,000 political and business leaders will gather in Qianhai to discuss regional cooperation, with representatives from 115 Fortune Global 500 companies taking part. US companies account for the largest share of foreign participants, at nearly 20 per cent. Li said preparations are complete.
The summit's theme is 'Jointly Promoting Prosperity, Winning the Future', Li said, adding that it aims to strengthen the multilateral trading system and address global challenges together. Discussions will also cover building an open and inclusive artificial-intelligence innovation ecosystem, exploring new paths for Asia-Pacific digital-economy cooperation, and opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Asia-Pacific region.
Li noted that the summit will release the '2026 APEC CEO Summit Shenzhen Initiative', the first time in the summit's 30-year history that an advocacy document has been issued in this format. The initiative will systematically consolidate the core views of the business community and offer recommendations to leaders ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Li described the summit as a high-level event that demonstrates decision-makers' respect for the business community. It brings together prominent companies from 13 non-APEC economies, conveying international business confidence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Greater Bay Area's connectivity continues to exert a strong gravitational pull, Li said, and this year's summit in Shenzhen, which includes a dedicated panel on the bay area, will further focus attention and amplify its magnetic effect.