INVESTMENT, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani led the Malaysian delegation to the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in Suzhou, China, from May 22 to 23, where regional leaders deliberated on trade integration, digital transformation, sustainability, energy security and supply chain resilience.
Held under China’s 2026 APEC host theme, “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together”, the meeting took place against an increasingly uncertain global economic backdrop marked by supply chain disruptions, trade tensions and strategic competition among major economies.
Malaysia used the platform to reiterate its support for an open, transparent, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system centred on the World Trade Organization (WTO), while cautioning against rising protectionism and economic fragmentation.
The government also stressed that regional and mega trade agreements should complement, rather than weaken, the WTO framework.
In its intervention, Malaysia highlighted the importance of stronger regional cooperation on energy security and supply chain resilience to mitigate the impact of ongoing global disruptions.
The country further underscored the need to ensure that digitalisation, artificial intelligence adoption and the green transition remain practical and accessible, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), through improved interoperability, capacity-building initiatives and simplified implementation mechanisms.
“Malaysia remains committed to working closely with APEC economies to ensure that regional economic integration, digital transformation, sustainability initiatives, energy security and supply chain cooperation continue to deliver practical and business-oriented outcomes for the Asia-Pacific region,” Johari said in a statement released on Monday..
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Johari held bilateral discussions with counterparts from China, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore as part of efforts to deepen strategic economic cooperation and exchange views on current global economic developments.
The talks focused on enhancing trade and investment collaboration, strengthening cooperation in strategic sectors such as energy security and resilient supply chains, as well as reinforcing investor confidence and long-term regional economic stability.
Johari also met representatives from the US-APEC Business Coalition and several multinational companies operating in Malaysia to discuss evolving trade and investment conditions, including supply chain resilience, digitalisation and investment facilitation.
Malaysia said it remains committed to strengthening regional economic cooperation and ensuring the Asia-Pacific remains an open, resilient and sustainable destination for trade and investment growth. - May 25, 2026
