Statement on Promoting AI Development in the Asia-Pacific Region

The APEC High-Level Forum on AI, hosted by China under the theme of “Promoting AI Development for Good and for All,” was held in Chengdu, Sichuan, China on July 24, 2026. APEC member economies reaffirmed our commitment to deepening exchanges, building consensus, forging cooperation and promoting innovation on AI, while further implementing the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap (AIDER), and the APEC AI Initiative (2026-2030). 

While bearing in mind the diverse needs of APEC member economies, we encourage economies to engage in experience sharing to foster responsible development and adoption of AI across the Asia-Pacific and look forward to promoting cooperation in the following areas of AI:

Promote the secure development and deployment of AI. We encourage AI development that prioritizes security and promotes innovation that addresses risks for the benefit of our people. Member economies are encouraged to exchange best practices on fostering the development of reliable, accessible, scalable, trusted, secure and resilient AI infrastructure and enhancing the accessibility of digital infrastructure. We will work to facilitate cross-border data flows, which are critical to AI development, while strengthening consumer and business trust.

Accelerate the responsible adoption of AI applications. We encourage the implementation of various forms of AI-enabled economic growth to build an enabling environment for the integration of AI across economic sectors and throughout our societies. We promote the provision of accessible educational and training resources for all segments of our societies to improve AI literacy and skills. We recognize the growing role of AI in facilitating trade, modernizing customs procedures, and enhancing business competitiveness, and encourage the further exchange of best practices in these areas to support economic growth.

Foster an enabling environment for AI innovation. We commend policies that promote market-oriented and innovation-driven approaches for the development and broad adoption of AI. We encourage member economies to consider policies that address risks and promote responsible AI adoption. While respecting security, data protection and intellectual property rights, we encourage member economies to support open-source models and projects that employ strong security assurance through development and deployment.

Foster broad-based cooperation to maximize participation and benefits across APEC. We welcome capacity building, and knowledge sharing across member economies in the Asia-Pacific region and fostering innovation and economic growth through open dialogue and collaborative efforts, including with the public and private sectors. We will continue support for all APEC member economies to participate in the AI-driven economy and maximize the benefits of AI for our people. 

Recognizing the important role of the APEC Digital Economy Steering Group (DESG), the Telecommunications and Information Working Group, and other APEC sub-fora in strengthening AI cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, we are committed to organizing policy dialogues on AI during the DESG plenary to promote AI for the benefit of our people and explore AI innovation, adoption, access, and other emerging issues while remaining open to new developments as AI evolves. We express our gratitude to China for hosting this Forum and our appreciation to the City of Chengdu and Sichuan Province for the exceptional hospitality extended at this meeting. We look forward to continued DESG dialogues on AI in the future.