By Chen Shangwen, People’s Daily
As the latest wave of scientific and technological revolution reshapes global industries, the world economy is accelerating toward digitalization, sustainability, and intelligent development, generating strong momentum for global economic integration.
As a member of the Asia-Pacific family, China remains committed to ensuring broad access to technological advancements while deepening regional cooperation in green innovation. This approach actively supports higher-quality, more resilient development across the Asia-Pacific region.
At Peru’s Chancay Port, the first smart and green port in South America, giant blue automated gantry cranes move containers with precision, while self-driving trucks shuttle back and forth. In a central control room, the port’s production operation system dispatches tasks to the cranes, rail-mounted gantries, and trucks, directing their automated operations efficiently.
This facility has reduced China-Peru shipping times to 23 days while cutting logistics costs by over 20%, exemplifying how innovation drives connectivity and sustainable growth.
Innovation is a key driving force for Asia-Pacific development. China has been advancing innovation in digital economy, promoting both industrial digitization and digital industrialization. It has put forward a range of cooperation initiatives under APEC, including digital village development, enterprise digital identity, and the use of digital technology to promote green and low-carbon transition. By fostering new quality productive forces, China is propelling international cooperation and injecting fresh impetus into the Asia-Pacific’s transformation toward digital, intelligent, and green development.
As a key production factor in digital economy, data plays an increasingly vital role in innovation and public governance. China has released the Global Cross-border Data Flow Cooperation Initiative, offering constructive ideas for addressing governance challenges in cross-border data flows. The initiative outlines China’s position on promoting global cooperation in this field, advocating the principle of openness, inclusiveness, security, cooperation, and non-discrimination.
In northern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Dzilam mangrove biosphere reserve, covering more than 690 square kilometers, is home to over 590 species of flora and fauna, including dozens of endangered and protected species.
Since 2022, a Chinese company, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the government of Yucatan State, has launched a Tech for Nature digital technology cooperation project. In its first phase, the project collected audio and video data within the reserve and used AI on cloud platforms to analyze and process the information, monitoring biodiversity indicators and providing solid technological support for species protection and ecological research.
In Chile, fleets of Chinese-brand electric buses now operate across the capital, Santiago, offering residents a low-carbon, efficient, and convenient solution of public transport. In Malaysia, Chinese enterprises have helped local automaker Proton turn losses into profits, establishing a complete industrial chain for electric vehicle production and launching full-scale manufacturing.
Through the building of a green Belt and Road, China has continued to deepen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, and green transport. It has supported capacity-building efforts in developing countries through a South-South cooperation fund on climate change. China has also put forward a series of APEC cooperation initiatives in areas such as green agriculture, sustainable cities, low-carbon energy transition, and marine pollution control, contributing to the creation of a clean and beautiful Asia-Pacific.
China has always placed great importance on strengthening exchanges and cooperation in science, technology, and innovation under the APEC framework. It works to enhance technological capacity, especially in developing economies, ensuring that innovation outcomes better serve people across the region.
In Singapore, a cutting-edge medical institution has adopted an intelligent analysis and follow-up system developed by a Chinese enterprise, reducing the processing time for single imaging cases to just two or three minutes.
In Brunei, a fatigue monitoring system jointly developed by a Chinese company and Brunei’s Muara Port Company using China’s homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System helps prevent and monitor safety risks during transport, providing early warnings and post-event analysis to improve driver management and operational safety.
“Innovation is the core driving force of APEC development,” said Jeon Byung-seo, director of South Korea’s China Economic and Financial Research Institute. He explained that from building a mutually beneficial Digital Silk Road, to integrating more deeply into global innovation networks, and actively participating in global science and technology governance, China has aligned vision with action, working hand in hand with other countries to build an innovative, sustainable, and prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific.
Fostering green innovation to power growth in Asia-Pacific
