China’s leaders have long insisted that shutting itself off from the world is futile – “关起门来搞建设不可能成功” (closing the door to build cannot succeed). In the coming 15th Five-Year Plan, policymakers emphasize that growing China’s domestic market does not mean retreating from global engagement. As one expert notes, expanding “internal
At the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, Korea, Presidents Lee and Xi signed a series of seven memoranda of understanding (MOUs) covering economic cooperation. Notably, these included agreements on “Silver Economy” cooperation (aging care), joint promotion of an Innovation Startup Partnership Program, and strengthening service trade exchanges. These
The APEC 2025 leaders’ Gyeongju Declaration highlighted three pillars – Connect, Innovate, Prosper – to build “a Sustainable Tomorrow”. Under Connect, economies reaffirmed support for open trade and resilient supply chains. They pledged to deepen WTO-based trade, advance cross-border facilitation (e.g. paperless trade and e-commerce) and implement the 2022–2026 Supply-Chain
Busan’s Role in Asia Busan – South Korea’s second-largest city – has long been a linchpin of Asian trade and security. Located at the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula, Busan has served as a regional trading hub since at least the 15th century, owing to its well-sheltered harbor and
Introduction APEC 2025, hosted by South Korea under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper,” is centered in the historic city of Gyeongju. This major summit brings global attention not only to its host city but to the nation as a whole. In particular, the decision to hold
Traditional medical knowledge is moving from the margins to the mainstream of global health policy. As societies age and chronic diseases proliferate, interest is surging in how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and related systems can complement conventional care. In fact, 82% of the world’s population uses some form of
Executive Summary The U.S. policy landscape in 2025 – influenced by President Donald Trump’s recent campaign and initiatives – is strongly geared toward a “Made in America” manufacturing renaissance. Trump’s agenda emphasizes reshoring factories to the United States with aggressive incentives (like tax cuts and special zones) and penalties
Executive Summary: Global student mobility has surged in recent decades – an estimated 6.9 million students studied abroad in 2022 – underpinning university budgets and soft power. The U.S. government’s recent move to decertify Harvard’s student visa program (an attempted ban on enrolling foreign students) exemplifies a rising
Asia-Pacific economies fall into innovation clusters with distinct entrepreneurship capacities. Top “Innovation Engines” (e.g. Korea, Japan, US, China, Singapore) invest heavily in R&D (>2% of GDP) and host world-class universities with active tech-transfer offices. A second tier (“Advanced Innovators” like Australia, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand, Malaysia,
Asia-Pacific economies harness artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen digital resilience, foster competitive innovation, and pursue sustainable growth. Collaborative initiatives across APEC are aligning technology with strategic goals – from cross-border cybersecurity partnerships to AI-enabled climate action – uniting developed and emerging members in a shared digital future. This analysis applies Porter’s
Higher education across the Asia-Pacific is confronting a convergence of urgent challenges – from high youth unemployment to the digital divide, aging populations, climate change, and rapid economic disruption. The region’s leaders are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for educational innovation, aiming to transform these challenges
Global AI Competitiveness Landscape Asia – Asia’s tech powers are making massive, coordinated investments to lead the next era. China has a state-driven AI strategy aimed at global leadership by 2030. Beijing’s Next-Generation AI Plan (2017) promotes domestic innovation hubs and AI integration across industries, from smart cities to
