The fourth meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in 2026 concluded its second day of session in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday, with highlights on topics such as cross-border cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and digital economy.
Founded in November 1995, ABAC is the only non-governmental body with an official advisory role in the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, engaging in a formal dialogue and submitting annual policy recommendation reports to APEC leaders.
On Sunday morning, two working groups under the ABAC held separate closed-door discussions. The Connectivity working group focused on concrete areas of cooperation, such as cross-border infrastructure and the facilitation of cross-border trade within the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the Digital Innovation working group centered its attention on high-profile topics including the practical application of artificial intelligence, the development of the digital economy, and the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises.
During the discussions, representatives from some foreign enterprises noted that while digital technologies have indeed created numerous new opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region, the levels of digital development vary significantly among different economies; they therefore hope that any proposed recommendations from the meeting will take these disparities into account. Chinese representatives also expressed a desire to incorporate real-world examples of AI-driven industrial empowerment from China into the outcome documents, ensuring that the recommendations are better aligned with the actual needs of businesses.
The 14 outcome documents prepared by the ABAC this year have been finalized; the meeting also took stock of this year's collaborative achievements and mapped out the direction for cooperation in the coming year.
The second day of the event also included colorful activities. The delegates took cruise ships to experience the technological prowess of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge up close, and also attended a friendly exchange event in the evening.
APEC business representatives eye cooperation, digital economy at Shenzhen meeting
