Beijing (VNA) – The 37th APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM), held online on November 3 as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, saw ministers discuss key regional economic issues and preparations for the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, China.
The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, with the participation of foreign affairs and economic or trade ministers and heads of delegations from all 21 APEC member economies. Also attending were the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, the Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and representatives of international and regional organisations. Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Luong Hoang Thai headed the Vietnamese delegation.
As the most important ministerial meeting of the year, the event reviewed regional economic cooperation outcomes and discussed major issues, focusing on two key themes: cooperation towards building an Asia-Pacific community and promoting economic integration for regional growth.
Against the backdrop of continued global economic uncertainties and challenges to trade, investment and supply chains, ministers underscored the need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among member economies, reinforce the multilateral trading system, and maintain an open, stable and predictable trade and investment environment. They also called for advancing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), enhancing regional connectivity, removing bottlenecks and building resilient supply chains.
Ministers also discussed measures to promote innovation, digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve productivity and competitiveness; support small and medium-sized enterprises; develop human resources and digital skills; and strengthen cooperation in food and energy security, sustainable resource management and economic resilience.
The conference also reviewed the five-year implementation of the Action Plan for the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and discussed ways to enhance APEC's effectiveness, laying the groundwork for stronger cooperation in the years ahead.
In this context, many member economies expressed interest in and high expectations for Vietnam's hosting of APEC 2027, voicing hope that the country would build on existing achievements and advance practical cooperation initiatives to generate fresh momentum for regional economic integration and growth.
Addressing the meeting, Minister Trung commended China for its organisation of APEC 2026 and its role as host. Noting that the Asia-Pacific region is undergoing profound economic and technological transformations, presenting both opportunities and challenges, he stressed that APEC should take a proactive and pioneering role in shaping the future through strategic cooperation. He put forward three proposals to guide regional cooperation.
First, he called for building an innovative and productive Asia-Pacific by promoting the responsible and effective application of AI and digital technologies, creating favourable conditions for research and development, developing regional innovation networks, and equipping the workforce with future-ready skills.
Second, he proposed building an open and connected Asia-Pacific by facilitating the flow of goods and services, addressing supply chain bottlenecks, strengthening institutional, infrastructure and digital connectivity, and promoting people-to-people exchanges.
Third, he highlighted the importance of building a resilient and dynamic Asia-Pacific through closer cooperation in food and energy security, sustainable resource management and resilience to external shocks, alongside stronger policy coordination and capacity to respond to emerging risks, thereby supporting sustainable regional growth.
The minister reaffirmed that as host of APEC 2027, Vietnam stands ready to work closely with member economies, build on existing cooperation achievements and further advance substantive and effective APEC collaboration towards an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community./.
