The APEC started three decades ago as a pioneer in implementing free trade, facilitating cooperation and promoting regional integration.

To date, more than half of APEC's 21 economies have engaged in Belt and Road cooperation, with signature projects like the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and Chancay Port in Peru aiming to help strengthen trade networks and drive growth across the region.

One of APEC's flagship initiatives, the Bogor Goals were announced in 1994 for members to move towards the long-term goal of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific no later than the year 2020.

China's trade with other APEC economies reached a record high of 21.27 trillion yuan (about 2.95 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of 2024, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

The "APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040," named after Malaysia's administration center of Putrajaya, envisions "an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations."