At the invitation of China's General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, General Secretary and President To Lam of Vietnam, along with his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will attend the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Shenzhen and conduct bilateral engagements in China from November 17 to 20, 2026, according to an announcement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
General Secretary and President To Lam's working visit takes place as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum continues to affirm its role as a leading regional economic integration mechanism, promoting trade and investment liberalization, and economic growth.
Established in 1989, APEC currently comprises 21 member economies, which represent approximately 37% of the world's population, and contribut 62% of global GDP and 48% of global trade.
The APEC 2026 is hosted by China under the theme “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together”, focusing on three priority areas: openness, innovation and cooperation.
Vietnam officially joined APEC on November 15, 1998, at the 10th APEC Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This marked a significant milestone in Vietnam's implementation of its open, diversified, multilateral foreign policy and international economic integration.
APEC currently includes 15 of Vietnam's 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, as well as many leading economic and trade partners, accounting for over 77% of Vietnam's trade, nearly 81% of its foreign direct investment, and over 85% of its tourism.
Notably, 13 of the 19 free trade agreements (FTAs) Vietnam is implementing or negotiating involve APEC members; 17 of the remaining 20 APEC members are Vietnam's FTA partners.
After nearly three decades of participation, Vietnam has gradually transitioned from engaging, learning, and integrating to actively contributing, proposing initiatives, and shaping the Forum's cooperation directions.
Vietnam is one of the few members to have hosted APEC events three times, in 2006, 2017, and upcoming in 2027. Vietnam also served as the Executive Director of the APEC International Secretariat for the 2005-2006 term, along with holding numerous Chair and Vice-Chair positions in key committees and working groups.
Specifically, Vietnam has participated in proposing and promoting the development of the APEC Vision 2040, and has implemented nearly 200 initiatives and projects totaling nearly $20 million across various cooperation fields.
The Vietnamese business community is increasingly active in cooperation mechanisms such as the APEC Business Advisory Council and the APEC CEO Summit, helping to align the Forum's agenda with the practical interests of businesses and citizens.
In 2026, Vietnam will continue to coordinate with members to concretize APEC's cooperation priorities, promoting trade and investment facilitation, innovation, digital transformation, human resource development, and business support.
Concurrently, Vietnam holds Chair and Vice-Chair roles in several important mechanisms, including the SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE), the Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC), the Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS), and the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) Executive Board.
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