Sheinbaum to Bring Mexico's Agenda to APEC Leaders in China

President Claudia Sheinbaum will take part in the APEC leaders' plenary and hold bilateral meetings with representatives of several economies in the forum, including China, Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said.

Among the planned meetings he also mentioned Canada, Australia and Vietnam, though he clarified that some requests had not yet been confirmed.

Sheinbaum will travel from November 15 to 20; the leaders' meeting will be held on the 18th and 19th in Shenzhen, China, according to the information sent to the Senate.

Ebrard said the president will also speak before the APEC Business Advisory Council, a space that brings the private sector closer to the forum's economic discussions, and that her address and her presence at the plenary, he said, will allow Mexico to set out its priorities before leaders and business representatives from the region.

The participation comes as Mexico prepares to assume the APEC presidency in 2028 and host the leaders' summit.

In that context, Ebrard stressed that the country was chosen unanimously to be the next host, a decision that, he said, reflects international recognition of Mexico and of the president.

The visit to China will take place in Shenzhen, a city Ebrard described as the host country's technology capital, while explaining that Sheinbaum's agenda will include official meetings and activities related to Mexico's role in the forum, which brings together economies from Asia and the Pacific.

The plenary will address how to promote shared prosperity in a region marked by trade tensions and differences in economic policy.

"Even though there are tensions, there are trade rivalries, there are different trade policies, the goal of the session is how we can prosper together," Ebrard said.

APEC, founded in 1989, brings together 21 economies that, taken together, account for around 60 percent of world gross domestic product and nearly half of global trade, according to official data.

Ebrard maintained that Mexico must have an active presence in this space because it is the tenth-largest exporting power and the thirteenth-largest economy in the world.

"The rules of the world economy and trade are changing," he said in explaining the relevance of taking part in the talks on trade, investment, production and growth.

The secretary also noted that APEC economies account for 52 percent of the foreign direct investment Mexico receives, with the United States as the main source, followed by other economies in the forum, including Canada.

The president's agenda will also include her participation in the plenary session of the 21 leaders, whose purpose, according to Ebrard, will be to seek agreements to reduce tensions and advance common goals.

The official summed up the meeting's motto as "building an Asia-Pacific community to prosper together."