Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025

The Economic Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) met in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, from October 31 to November 1, 2025.

• The 2025 summit was held under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow”, advancing shared objectives through three priorities — Connect, Innovate, Prosper.

Key Developments and U.S. Role

• Ahead of the summit, U.S. President Donald Trump announced trade deals with several countries, including China and South Korea.
• However, he departed before the summit officially began.
• Analysts noted that Washington’s influence was still visible in the final declaration, which — unlike last year’s — omitted references to multilateralism and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Future Hosting and Participation

• President Xi Jinping announced that China will host APEC 2026 in Shenzhen.

About APEC

• APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) is a non-binding regional economic forum established in 1989 to promote economic cooperation and interdependence in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The forum has 21 member economies, which together account for:
  • 50% of global trade, and
  • 61% of global GDP.
• India is not a member of APEC.