Trade representatives called for greater openness and connectivity to foster collaboration and growth among the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, as they gathered at a high-level meeting in Beijing on Sunday amid a challenging global trade environment.

“We need to firmly uphold the multilateral trade system anchored to the World Trade Organization while opposing unilateralism and protectionism,” said Ren Hongbing, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, in his opening remarks at the event.

Apec economies should continue to advocate for the freedom and convenience of trade and investment across the region while respecting the principles of openness and collaboration to jointly create space for innovation across the region, Ren said.

The Sunday gathering, also known as the Apec China CEO Forum 2026, comes as wars, tariffs and rising unilateralism and protectionism cloud the global trade outlook.

In the face of such challenges, member economies increasingly see greater openness as a necessary move if the Asia-Pacific region is to realise its growth potential and foster deeper regional collaboration.

Ren touted the economic prospects of the region, whose member economies accounted for nearly 60 per cent of global gross domestic product and include major economies such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan and Australia.

The region also accounted for a third of the global population and about half of global trade, which Ren said “fully reflects the vibrancy and broad prospects of economic and trade cooperation in the Apec region”.