Key Takeaways from APEC Summit 2025

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (#APEC2025) Summit 2025 took place in Gyengju, South Korea from 31st October to 1st of November 2025. The multilateral Summit was overshadowed by the #G2 bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi in Busan, which led to a de-escalation of trade tensions and an extended truce for one year as both sides rearched ‘some consensus.’

The Asia-Pacific region is home to nearly 40% of the world’s population which accounts for more than 50% of the global trade and 60% of the world’s #GDP. Xi stayed on for the Summit, but Trump left right after the meeting with Xi, leaving his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to represent the US at the APEC Summit.

Xi pleaded for upholding the ‘multilateral trading system’ and pitched China as a market that cannot be overlooked in terms of trade or investment. Bessent motivated the US’s stance by putting forward the need to ‘to operate on fair and reciprocal terms’ and to ‘reduce dependence on vulnerable sectors.’ Both emphasized the need for a stable and secure Global Supply Chain (#GSC). On the other hand, Canadian PM Carney believed that the world is seeing ‘the end of free trade.’

During its Presidency, South Korean President LEE Jae Myung proposed an APEC AI Initiative to foster cooperation, harmonization, and inclusivity. During his keynote address during the APEC CEO Summit, Jensen Huang announced that Nvidia is partnering with several South Korean companies to develop AI. It is clear that South Korea ambitions to be a major in the development of #AI as it recently cumulatively ordered over a quarter million GPU from Nvidia to build up its AI infrastructure.

Some key economies within APEC, notably China, Japan, and South Korea, are facing demographic challenges with an ageing population and South Korea suggested more cooperation to address this issue. Previously, India agreed to supply youth labor to Japan to address its demographic crisis.