AI ties with APEC members in focus

Deeper cooperation among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in nurturing artificial intelligence talent will help the world better address regional challenges and opportunities in the digital era, government officials and multinational organizations said.

Zhang Xiaolei, deputy head of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said: "China will work with other APEC member economies to advance sustainable and high-quality growth in the region."

Zhang highlighted priorities such as policy implementation, experience sharing, and deeper collaboration in talent cultivation.

She made the remarks at the Workshop on Practical AI Capacity Building in the Asia-Pacific Region held in Boao, Hainan province, on Friday.

"We welcome other APEC members to gather in China in 2026 when the country assumes the role of APEC host," Zhang said.

The urgency of AI capacity building was echoed by Hayun Kang, co-chair of the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group, who said in a video speech that it is no longer merely a technical issue, but a pressing priority for economic and social development.

According to her, economies are actively working to build a more inclusive and resilient regional ecosystem through measures such as formulating national AI strategies and conducting AI literacy training.

The Asia-Pacific region should enhance cross-border collaboration and establish long-term partnerships guided by the principles of transparency, fairness, accountability and a people-centered approach, in order to achieve sustainable growth across the region, Kang said.

Hainan, where the workshop was held, exemplifies China's efforts to integrate AI education into its development agenda.

Cui Ying, deputy head of the Education Department of Hainan province, detailed local measures, including an "AI plus education" initiative launched in September.

"We will further deepen industry-education integration to closely link education and talent with industrial and innovation chains," Cui said. These steps aim to equip students with practical AI skills to support Hainan's digital transformation and the broader APEC vision.

The workshop was co-organized by the China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team and Hainan College of Software Technology.

Ryoji Sekido, co-CEO of Accenture Asia-Pacific, said: "China stands at the forefront of global AI innovation and deployment, serving as an unparalleled benchmark for enterprise transformation.

"There is no better place to witness AI progress than right here in China and Shanghai. The ecosystem's rapid evolution is impressive," Sekido said.

Beyond education, China is accelerating AI applications in industrial and green sectors. For instance, the "AI plus industrial internet" concept is revolutionizing manufacturing by improving equipment maintenance and data utilization. Simultaneously, AI powers smart grids to optimize renewable energy distribution and carbon emission monitoring. These advancements demonstrate China's resolve to contribute to APEC's goals of digitalization and sustainable growth.

Xie Shaofeng, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the ministry has also coordinated with provincial governments to develop 11 national AI innovation pilot zones.

Meanwhile, the central and local authorities have jointly built specialized manufacturing innovation centers for embodied AI robots, humanoid robots and other next-generation technologies to drive the development of industrial clusters, Xie said.