On the afternoon of August 25, the APEC Policy Dialogue on Digital Economy and Artificial Intelligence for Innovative Growth was held at the Dalian International Conference Center. Cheng Lie, China’s APEC Senior Official, delivered opening remarks, and Wu Hongliang, Director‑General of the International Cooperation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, gave a keynote address.

This policy dialogue is one of the key events held on the sidelines of the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting 2026. The digital economy and artificial intelligence are accelerating the reshaping of production, trade and the operation of economic and social systems. Since the adoption of the APEC Artificial Intelligence Initiative (2026‑2030), artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important topic across APEC‑led cooperation. Aligned with APEC 2026’s theme “Building an Asia‑Pacific Community for Common Prosperity” and its three priority areas of “Openness, Innovation and Cooperation”, the policy dialogue aims to pool inputs from all participants and advance practical, action‑oriented APEC outcomes concerning digital economy and artificial intelligence for innovative growth.

Xiao Qian, Deputy Director of CISS and Deputy Dean of the Institute for International AI Governance, Tsinghua University, moderated the keynote presentations and roundtable discussion sessions. Five guests from academia, regional cooperation institutions and the industry were invited to join the discussion: Zeng Yi, Wu Yuzhang Chair Professor at the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence, Renmin University of China and Founding Dean of the Beijing Institute for AI Safety and Governance; Dr. Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit, Executive Director of the International Secretariat, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC); Dr. Ning Ning, Vice‑President for International Business and AI Consulting at 01.AI; Nicolas Miailhe, AI Lead and Board Member of the French Pacific Territories Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee (FPTPEC); and Rachel Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of Dalian Yitongkanghe Technology Co., Ltd.

During the interactive session, centered on the core question “What concrete actions can APEC take?”, representatives and stakeholders from APEC member economies, the business community, academia and regional cooperation institutions held in‑depth exchanges with experts on topics including AI‑enabled economic growth, bridging the digital and intelligence divides, early‑warning and governance of AI risks, and strengthening AI cooperation under the APEC framework. The dialogue seeks to translate principled discussions into actionable policy recommendations.