Beijing to host APEC CEO forum next month

China

Beijing to host APEC CEO forum next month

2026-05-23 06:08 Last Updated At：07:17

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO China Forum 2026 will be held in Beijing on June 21, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) announced on Friday.

The event will feature an opening ceremony and three seminars to review this year's key outcomes such as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Statement on Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and the ABAC Statement on Connectivity, and prepare high-quality policy suggestions from the business community for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting slated for November in south China's Shenzhen, the CCPIT said.

"The Asia-Pacific business community has released a joint statement on progress toward the FTAAP and called for an upgraded version of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint on the basis of the outcomes of the Beijing summit in 2014. This fully demonstrates the shared aspiration of the Asia-Pacific business community for stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, and for a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization," said Yang Mi, director of CCPIT's general office.

The APEC forum will be closely followed by the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo, which is scheduled for June 22-26 in Beijing.

The expo will feature more than 60 business exchange activities, with foreign provinces serving as guests of honor for the first time, according to the CCPIT.

"At this year's supply chain expo, 48 percent of the foreign exhibitors will be from China's Belt and Road partner countries. During the exhibition, we will hold a Belt and Road trade and investment forum and a roundtable on international chamber of commerce cooperation for the New Land-Sea Trade Corridor. In addition, we will hold an exchange activity for exhibitors, a working meeting of the China International Supply Chain Expo Exhibitors Alliance, the BRICS Women's Leadership Forum, and other exchange activities," said Liu Jiannan, vice chairman of CCPIT.

The expo will also host country-specific promotion sessions, bilateral economic and trade activities, and cross-industry exchanges to facilitate the flow of the resources along industrial and supply chains, according to the CCPIT.

The Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France and the Liguria region of Italy will be foreign guest provinces of honor, which will carry out promotion and exchange activities with Chinese guest provinces of honor, the CCPIT said.

As the world's first national-level exhibition focusing on supply chains, the China International Supply Chain Expo is an internationally shared public product.

First held in 2023, the expo has contributed to building more secure, stable, open and inclusive global industrial and supply chains, according to the CCPIT.

Excitement grows in HKSAR amid speculation on first local astronaut

The upcoming launch of China's Shenzhou-23 space mission is generating significant excitement in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), as the mission will for the very first time carry a local Hong Kong astronaut into orbit.

Anticipation grew earlier this month following the release of the official Shenzhou-23 mission emblem. The design featured a distinctive 'bauhinia' flower element, which is regarded as the floral symbol of the Hong Kong SAR, sparking widespread speculation that a Hong Kong astronaut was about to realize the dream of spaceflight.

Back in 2024, during the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)'s fourth batch of astronaut selection, a local Hong Kong candidate was chosen for the first time among the ten final candidates. Public information indicates the Hong Kong representative is a female payload expert who is also a former chief inspector in the police force.

People from all walks of life in Hong Kong have expressed deep pride that one of their own is participating in this historic mission and having the chance to serve the motherland's space endeavors, seeing it as recognition and trust from the country in Hong Kong's contributions to aerospace technology.

"Hong Kong, relying on the solid advantage of having the motherland at its back, is deeply involved in the nation's major manned space projects. This fully proves that 'One Country, Two Systems' works, delivers results, and enjoys popular support," said Sze Ching-lau, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations.

Others say that China's ongoing development goals and ambitious plans in space exploration offer exciting opportunities to young people from the Hong Kong SAR.

"The nation's 15th Five-Year Plan(2026-2030) clearly sets out the goal of building a strong space power. This has created a vast stage for Hong Kong youth to pursue the stars. We must proactively break free from conventional horizons, follow in the footsteps of astronauts with the power of youth, and devote ourselves to the cause of serving the nation through science and technology innovation," said Edward Leung Hei, honorary president of the Youth Innovation Development Charity.