Chamaiporn Chuecharoen, president of the Asian-International Trade and Investment Association, said the gathering in Shenzhen must move beyond political discussion and create "a marketplace for growth" with tangible outcomes.

　　"Members must take a proactive role to deliver tangible growth for entrepreneurs and make "shared prosperity" a reality through concrete actions," she said.

　　Chamaiporn noted that these actions include building seamless supply chains, ensuring small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from free trade, and promoting the green and creative economy.

　　She said she believes APEC"s free trade efforts demonstrate to the world that openness is better than closure and that trade barriers can be reduced.

　　"When all countries benefit, trade becomes sustainable," she added. "APEC is like a group of friends working together to make doing business easier, faster, and fairer."