On October 28, 2025, China Forum, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University successfully held the seventh session of "China Forum: Face-to-Face Dialogue."The event focused on the theme "APEC 2025—Forging New Models for Economic Cooperation, Trade, Diplomacy, and the Global Technology Landscape." Experts engaged in in-depth discussions on the unique characteristics, practical significance, and future development of the APEC mechanism. They explored how APEC, amid intensifying major-power competition, profound shifts in the global geopolitical landscape, and the rise of diverse regional cooperation mechanisms, can uphold its principles of voluntary participation and consensus-based collaboration, while continuing to exert cohesion and influence through its non-binding framework.

Experts noted that the international community hopes the upcoming APEC summit will serve as a critical opportunity for breaking the ice in interactions between the leaders of China and the United States. This reflects the strong symbolic and substantive value of direct high-level communication. At the same time, China and the U.S. must further expand their communication channels and platforms, establishing multi-level and regular dialogue mechanisms to stabilize bilateral relations, manage differences, and rebuild mutual trust.

In the face of the complex and evolving international situation, experts emphasized that APEC, as a crucial regional multilateral platform, remains highly relevant. It can play a unique role in promoting regional economic integration and addressing shared challenges. In 2026, China will host the APEC summit, and its policy practices and experiences in digital economy governance, green and low-carbon transition, and South-South cooperation may inject new vitality into regional collaboration, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable development paradigm for the Asia-Pacific region.