By Monica Hardy Whaley, President, National Center for APEC 

I am fortunate/old enough to have attended both of China’s previous APEC hostings in 2001 and 2014 and I look forward to attending the Shenzhen meetings next month. Reflecting on each of those three years, I am struck by how different the world has looked at each of those times.  

In 2001, Leaders gathered in Shanghai just over five weeks after September 11, with China and the other economies expressing solidarity with the United States as President George W. Bush built support for an international coalition against terrorism. For most of us, it was the first time we had flown since 9/11. I will never forget walking the fully secured, quiet streets of Shanghai that week, and thinking that it likely had been centuries since anyone had seen them that quiet. On the trade front, China joined the WTO that December. 

By 2014, when China hosted the Leaders Week in Beijing, regional economic integration was a major focus. The United States was pursuing high-standard trade rules through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, while APEC Leaders endorsed a roadmap toward a broader vision Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.  

Now, in 2026, China again holds APEC’s chair, with Leaders’ Week coming to Shenzhen. The world—and U.S.–China relations—have changed considerably since those earlier gatherings. Yet APEC continues to provide a consistent setting where differences can be aired, common ground explored, and the doors to dialogue kept open. That continuity is central to how I approach this year’s Leaders’ Week.  

For those preparing for Shenzhen—or simply interested in what to watch—here is the broader picture I will be keeping in view. 

A place to keep the conversation going. 

APEC’s approach rests on dialogue, consensus, and voluntary cooperation. Its members bring different perspectives and economic circumstances but share a forum for exploring common interests and developing practical solutions. 

I see particular value in that continuity. Leaders’ Week creates space to clarify priorities, strengthen relationships, and identify opportunities for cooperation. Informal bilateral meetings on the sidelines can be as significant for the conversations they begin as for the announcements they produce. 

U.S.–China discussions will help shape the atmosphere in Shenzhen. Yet APEC’s strength also lies in the many other relationships receiving attention in the same place, at the same time. For governments and businesses alike, that concentration opens up possibilities that extend across the region. 

One host economy, a regional opportunity 

For companies planning their participation, I would start with a broad question: What does your business need to understand about the region as a whole? 

Your most useful conversation might concern investment in Southeast Asia, North American business relationships, or opportunities along Latin America’s Pacific coast. It could be a chance to hear a government’s priorities firsthand or reconnect with a counterpart whose perspective informs your next decision. 

Alongside U.S.–China discussions, I will be following Canada–U.S. and Mexico–U.S. engagement, with Mexico set to host APEC in 2028. Vietnam’s preparations to host in 2027 will also be an important focus, offering opportunities to connect this year’s work with next year’s agenda. 

At NCAPEC, helping members make those connections—across economies and host years—is central to our work. 

Where business experience meets regional cooperation 

Business has a distinctive place in APEC. Through the APEC Business Advisory Council, or ABAC, private-sector representatives provide recommendations directly to Leaders, complemented by industry dialogues and working-level engagement throughout the year. 

NCAPEC serves as the secretariat for the U.S. members of ABAC, connecting American business priorities with that regional process. 

The strength and relevance of ABAC is demonstrated by how this engagement translates into practical results. For one example, through the APEC Centre of Excellence for Paperless Trade (ACCEPT), economies and ABAC are working to make electronic trade documents function across borders, including through pilot programs using real transactions. Other collaborative efforts address illicit trade, scams and fraud, and healthier workforces. 

These initiatives illustrate APEC’s public-private approach: bringing operational experience and policy expertise together around shared objectives. Leaders’ Week brings that year-round work into sharper focus. 

Putting Shenzhen in context 

At NCAPEC, we bring together longstanding regional relationships, regular engagement with APEC officials, and experience helping executives navigate the APEC CEO Summit. We help members understand how the meetings fit together, what developments mean for business, and where opportunities exist—or can be created—to engage. 

Whether this is your first Leaders’ Week or one of many, I hope you will look to my colleagues and me as a resource, both for Shenzhen and for the work that continues afterward. 

For me, that is APEC’s enduring value: keeping regional dialogue, business relationships, and practical cooperation moving forward. In a period of considerable change, it provides a place to stay connected—and keep working together on what comes next.