APEC Customs Business Dialogue kicks off in Dalian with focus on addressing economic challenges

China

APEC Customs Business Dialogue kicks off in Dalian with focus on addressing economic challenges

2026-08-20 12:54 Last Updated At：17:17

The two-day APEC Customs Business Dialogue kicked off on Thursday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, with a focus on discussing ways to address challenges under the new global economic and trade landscape, and exploring cooperative approaches to ensure the security and stability of Asia-Pacific supply chains.

The dialogue is the largest of this year's customs-related meetings organized within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework, drawing over 260 participants from 21 APEC economies.

The participants include customs, finance, and agriculture officials, along with representatives from international organizations, Chinese and foreign enterprises, and academic institutions. "We have been carrying out special campaigns to improve cross-border trade facilitation and simplify customs procedures, so that quality products from around the world can enter the Chinese market in greater volumes and at a faster pace," said Sun Meijun, head of the General Administration of Customs of China.

Chile's National Director of Customs Alejandra Arriaza Loeb underscored the significance of the dialogue amid the current global trade and economic situation.

"At this critical juncture for international trade and customs cooperation in the Pacific region, and against the backdrop of geopolitical volatility, rapid technological advancement, and the growing demand for supply chain resilience, dialogue between customs authorities and businesses has become more important than ever before," said Alejandra Arriaza Loeb.

The series of customs-related meetings are part of the ongoing Third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM3) and related meetings, which are scheduled for Aug 17 to 28 in Dalian. The meetings are expected to advance cooperation across APEC mechanisms and sectors, and help lay the groundwork for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for November in Shenzhen City.

Cuban envoy condemns US sanctions

Ernesto Soberon Guzman, Cuba's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), strongly criticized the United States’ unilateral coercive measures against the island nation during a Security Council's open debate on Wednesday, warning that any "military adventure" against Cuba will trigger immeasurable repercussions.

He denounced the United States for undermining the Security Council's mandate of safeguarding international peace and security through threats of force, interference in other countries' internal affairs and imposition of unilateral coercive measures.

Such moves have severely eroded multilateralism, as well as the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations, he stressed.

Guzman also pointed out that the US has continuously included Cuba in the list of "state sponsors of terrorism" and imposed a slew of restrictive measures targeting Cuba's strategic sectors covering economy, energy and public health.

The Cuban envoy called on the UN Security Council to fulfill its primary responsibility for maintaining global peace and security as well as issued a stern warning over potential military provocations.

"We issue a warning once again at this meeting. Once a military adventure against Cuba is launched, the consequences will be immeasurable. It will not only affect Cuba and the US, but also jeopardize peace, security, and stability in the Western Hemisphere and even the entire world," he said.