Bangkok, Thailand, 9 July 2026 – Meeting in Bangkok this week, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) finalized their 2026 Report to APEC Economic Leaders, which represents the business community's recommendations to address the region's evolving economic challenges. The focus of the report is APEC’s opportunity to demonstrate global leadership by reinforcing openness, strengthening regional connectivity and fostering closer public-private cooperation amid growing global uncertainty.
ABAC 2026 Chair Li Fanrong said sustained regional prosperity will depend on economies working together to preserve an open and predictable environment for trade and investment while harnessing the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, the digital economy and energy transition.
"Our region's long-term prosperity will depend on economies working together to preserve an open and predictable environment for trade and investment while harnessing the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies," said Chair Li.
Under the theme Openness, Connectivity and Synergy, ABAC will recommend that APEC reaffirm its commitment to free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade and investment, while advancing practical, business-led early deliverables toward the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). As part of this, ABAC will recommend a new focus on tackling non-tariff barriers affecting food trade, coherent digital trade rules and actions to unlock women’s economic participation and leadership, including uptake of the voluntary ABAC Equal Pay Framework.
On connectivity, ABAC will recommend greater investment in disaster-resilient and low-carbon transport infrastructure, stronger supply chain resilience and capacity building to make paperless trade a universal reality through the APEC Centre of Excellence for Paperless Trade (ACCEPT), improved logistics and a refreshed Open Skies agenda for aviation, greater transparency across regional supply chains, and expanded people-to-people exchanges.
"Connectivity today extends beyond infrastructure. It is about building resilient supply chains, reliable digital systems, skilled workforces and stronger human connections that enable businesses and communities to prosper together," added Chair Li.
To strengthen collaboration between governments and business, ABAC will recommend mobilizing greater private investment through innovative public-private partnerships to support infrastructure, energy, healthcare, water security and climate resilience.
The Council will also recommend innovation-friendly governance frameworks that support the responsible development and deployment of frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, while ensuring that developing economies and MSMEs have access to the digital infrastructure, skills and financing needed to participate fully in the digital economy.
Chair Li continued, "Artificial intelligence and quantum technology have the potential to transform productivity, competitiveness and sustainable development across our region. But the benefits of innovation must be widely shared."
The ABAC Report will further recommend stronger regional cooperation on food security, energy security, healthier populations, pandemic preparedness, disaster resilience, and sustainable responsible and competitive mining development, recognizing that these interconnected challenges require closer collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Chair Li reaffirmed ABAC's commitment to working closely with APEC economies to translate these priorities into practical outcomes.
He concluded, "By advancing Openness, Connectivity and Synergy, APEC can reinforce confidence in an increasingly uncertain global economy while delivering tangible benefits for businesses and communities throughout the Asia-Pacific. ABAC stands ready to partner with APEC economies to help turn these priorities into concrete action."
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul welcomed ABAC members to Bangkok and reaffirmed Thailand's support for strengthening regional economic cooperation through APEC and emphasized the importance of the role of the business community in this process.
During the meeting, ABAC also finalized its Letters to APEC Ministers responsible for Digital and AI, SMEs, Energy, Food Security, Transport and Finance ahead of their sectoral meetings in the coming months. Statements on Quantum, Health and Mining were likewise endorsed.
ABAC will next meet in Shenzhen, China for the final meeting of the year.
APEC Member Economies: Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; and Viet Nam.
ABAC was created by APEC Leaders in 1995 to be the primary voice of business in APEC. Each economy has three members who are appointed by their respective Leaders. They meet four times a year in preparation for the presentation of their recommendations to the Leaders in a dialogue that is a key event in the annual Leaders Meeting.
Under China’s leadership, ABAC is pursuing a work program under the theme “Openness. Connectivity. Synergy.” to respond to the challenge of maintaining the economic vitality of the Asia-Pacific Region and ensure it benefits all.
ABAC 2026 Chair is Li Fanrong (China) and the Co-Chairs are Kyuho Lee (Korea) and Ho Sy Hung (Viet Nam), with four (4)working group chairs and one (1) task force chair, namely: Anna Curzon, Regional Economic Integration Working Group (REIWG); Julia Torreblanca, Sustainability Working Group (SWG); Jan De Silva, Digital and Innovation Working Group (DIWG); Zeng Qi, Connectivity Working Group (CWG); and Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Finance and Economics Task Force (FETF).
For further information please contact:
Mr. Shan Ming, ABAC Executive Director 2026 Phone: + +8610 88075807 Email: [email protected]
Mr. Antonio Basilio, Director, ABAC Secretariat Mobile: +63 917 849 3351 Email: [email protected]
