Asia-Pacific trade envoys are gathering in China are expected to discuss multilateral co-operation, trade imbalances and supply chain resilience in the face of global shocks, including the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Trade representatives from members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) grouping, which together account for nearly half of global trade, will attend two days of meetings starting Friday in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou.
"The more turbulent the times, the more we must adhere to seeking common ground while reserving differences, working together to overcome difficulties, striving to reach more consensus, leading the Asia-Pacific economy through the crisis and injecting confidence into the global economy," said Li Chenggang, China's international trade representative, in an address during the opening ceremony on Friday.
The event is part of several rounds of meetings before an annual APEC leaders summit in November in Shenzhen.
Officials attending are also expected to discuss advancing the free-trade area of the Asia-Pacific region, boosting digital trade, ramping up artificial intelligence readiness and driving sustainable, inclusive growth.
The priorities of the meeting, Li said, were "optimising institutional arrangements, cultivating momentum in emerging fields, jointly expanding the Asia-Pacific economic pie and ensuring fair distribution of that pie to achieve inclusive, mutually beneficial, and win-win outcomes".
In 2025, China posted a record trade surplus of nearly $US1.2 trillion ($A1.7 trillion) and the gathering in Suzhou comes days after Group of Seven finance ministers agreed on the need for action to tackle trade imbalances, saying the present situation was unsustainable.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, ahead of that meeting, argued for more protections against a flood of cheap Chinese imports.
The APEC trade ministers meeting also closely follows back-to-back visits from US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing in recent weeks.
China, Russia and the US are APEC members.
Also speaking on Friday, APEC Business Advisory Council chair Li Fanrong said the global economy was under significant pressure and on behalf of the business community he urged a pause on new trade restrictions to prevent further uncertainty.
"The stakes could not be higher for business confidence, jobs, living standards and long-term prosperity in our region," he said.
Among the attendees representing APEC's 21 members are Rick Switzer, the deputy US trade representative; Don Farrell, Australia's trade minister; Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN's secretary-general; and Taiwan's top trade negotiator, Yang Jen-ni.
Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa is the most senior Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute between the two countries erupted in November.
