Xi Jinping for an Asia-Pacific with Open and Inclusive Development

President Xi Jinping called for strengthening ties between countries and promoting physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity

Chinese President Xi Jinping leads the trade meeting of the countries located in the Pacific area. APEC 2025. Photo: EFE

October 31, 2025 Hour: 3:30 pm

Chinese President Xi Jinping said here today that Asia-Pacific countries should maintain cooperation and promote open and inclusive development in the face of global challenges.

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During the first session of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting, Xi stressed that since its founding more than three decades ago, this mechanism has driven the region’s rise as the most dynamic area of the world economy.

The president proposed five lines of action to strengthen regional cooperation. First, he stressed the need to safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, and to update international rules to protect the rights of developing countries.

In his APEC speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a five-point proposal to promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and to build an Asia-Pacific community. https://t.co/MnzLvrF8dZ pic.twitter.com/fHbboh9FZj
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) October 31, 2025

Second, he called for building an open economic environment through trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and moving towards regional integration through mechanisms such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

He also called for keeping industrial and supply chains stable, strengthening ties between countries and promoting physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity within the framework of the tenth anniversary of the APEC Connectivity Plan.

The fourth point proposed promoting the digital and green transformation of trade through cooperation in digital technologies, smart customs, clean energy and sustainable supply chains.

Finally, Xi advocated inclusive and win-win development, based on cooperation with developing countries and advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, which, he said, will contribute to shared prosperity.

The president recalled that China maintains its policy of opening-up and that in the last five years it was the world’s largest trader of goods and the second largest in services, with more than 700 billion dollars in accumulated foreign investment.

He added that the country continues to expand opening-up through 22 pilot free trade zones and more flexible visa policies.