APEC director says forum's role has evolved beyond US-China focus
APEC executive director Eduardo Pedrosa said China is becoming more confident and ambitious as the forum returns to China for the third time in 25 years. He said APEC's value lies in connecting people and businesses worldwide, while rejecting the idea that the forum is simply a G2 stage for China and the US.
Eduardo Pedrosa, APEC’s executive director, says the forum’s purpose has outgrown a narrow lens focused only on the US and China. He describes China as more self-assured and aspirational as the forum meets in China for only the third occasion in a quarter-century.
Pedrosa argues APEC’s worth comes from linking people and businesses across the world. He rejects the view that it serves mainly as a two-power platform for China and the United States.
For businesses, workers, and consumers in APEC members, Pedrosa’s emphasis may suggest the forum could be assessed less by a US-China lens and more by practical cross-border links. If that framing gains traction, smaller economies and ordinary participants might find more room in cooperation discussions. The real effect could depend on whether members turn the stated vision into accessible opportunities, and public attention may shift only gradually.