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China vows stronger support for APEC cooperation, regional economic integration

China

China

China

China vows stronger support for APEC cooperation, regional economic integration

2026-05-22 16:46 Last Updated At:17:07

China will continue deepening reform and expanding high-level opening-up to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world, while reaffirming the country's commitment to regional economic integration and inclusive globalization, according to Wang Wentao, Chinese Minister of Commerce.

Wang made the remarks ahead of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which is being held from Friday to Saturday in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province.

By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade, while imports from APEC economies totaled 1.5 trillion dollars.

The country's actual use of foreign investment from APEC economies reached 90.61 billion dollars, while China's investment in APEC economies stood at 136.58 billion dollars.

So far, China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies.

In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies, including Singapore and Peru.

"China has implemented the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement with high quality and actively advanced the process of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), supporting the coordinated development and mutual reinforcement of the two agreements to inject momentum into the building of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. China has also proposed and promoted high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the four major global initiatives, with the aim of advancing universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and addressing unbalanced development," said Wang.

Facing common challenges, China will continue to demonstrate its responsibility as a major country by further deepening reform and expanding high-level opening-up, Wang said.

He noted that China will continue to create new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world through new achievements in Chinese modernization.

China vows stronger support for APEC cooperation, regional economic integration

China vows stronger support for APEC cooperation, regional economic integration

The delegation of the Houthis returned to Sanaa on Thursday after signing an agreement with Yemen's government to exchange detainees. During their talks in the Jordanian capital of Amman, the two sides signed the agreement to exchange around 1,750 detainees from both sides following months of UN-sponsored negotiations.

The agreement includes the release of detainees linked to the Yemeni government, the Houthis, allied military formations, and members of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, according to statements issued by the two sides.

This marks the largest exchange of detainees between the two sides since the conflict in Yemen broke out in 2014.

The swap is expected to take place on July 10 this year.

"Before the swap, there are still some procedures that we will announce at an appropriate time, such as confirming whether there are any detainees left in both sides' prisons. In addition, we also need to prepare for welcoming the released detainees back," said Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis' prisoner affairs committee.

A UN-mediated truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, brokered in April 2022, lasted six months before expiring. However, both sides have largely maintained a "de facto ceasefire" since then.

The last major UN-mediated detainees swap between the two sides took place in 2023, with around 900 detainees released.

Houthis delegation returns to Sanaa for prisoner swap

Houthis delegation returns to Sanaa for prisoner swap

Houthis delegation returns to Sanaa for prisoner swap

Houthis delegation returns to Sanaa for prisoner swap

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