As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting convenes in South Korea this week, regional economies confront a pivotal question: Will collaboration drive sustainable growth, or will geopolitical rivalries fracture the world’s most dynamic economic zone?
This year’s theme, “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper,” underscores APEC’s founding vision of integration. Yet Professor Timothy Kerswell of India’s Bennett University warns that “economic policy is being weaponized” through tariffs, tech restrictions, and financial pressure. While strategic industrial policies remain legitimate tools for development, he argues that recent measures by the United States and allies – framed as national security imperatives – risk entrenching global hierarchies rather than fostering equitable progress.
The stakes are monumental. The Asia-Pacific generates 60% of global GDP and half of worldwide trade. Coercive tactics here could destabilize supply chains, inflate costs for smaller economies, and erode decades of growth built on APEC’s principles of balanced, inclusive development. “What’s at risk isn’t just prosperity but the multilateral system itself,” Kerswell notes.
As leaders gather, the region faces a defining choice. Will APEC members reaffirm their commitment to innovation-driven connectivity? Or will short-term strategic gains fracture the partnerships that lifted millions from poverty? The answer will shape Asia’s role in an increasingly polarized world.
