Key Takeaways from Access Partnership’s APEC Roundtable: Preparing for Vietnam 2027

As Vietnam prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2027, how can the forum remain a compelling platform for private sector engagement against a backdrop of intensifying geopolitical and geoeconomic competition?

On 15 June, Access Partnership convened a roundtable in Singapore to examine how APEC 2027 can serve as a platform for regional policy dialogue and address shared business challenges under the Chatham House Rule. The event was attended by the APEC Secretariat, regional foreign-policy voices, senior representatives of Vietnam’s incoming host team, and around forty leading companies and industry associations from across trade, technology, and healthcare.

Setting the scene: APEC’s role in 2026 to 2027

Discussion opened with a reminder of what APEC is, and what it is not. As a non-binding, consensus-based forum, APEC is less focused on negotiating formal agreements and more on shaping policy direction through dialogue, peer exchange, and capacity-building. Over time, this process has played a meaningful role in informing regulatory approaches, aligning priorities across economies, and translating shared objectives into practical policy actions. With progress stalled at the World Trade Organisation, participants noted that APEC’s convening role has become more important.

The geopolitical outlook

A fireside discussion between Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Adam Schwarz, CEO of Asia Group Advisors, an Access Partnership company, framed much of the day. Several points were emphasised:

Structural competition between the US and China is now a permanent feature of the landscape, producing what one contributor described as an “uneasy stability” rather than open confrontation.
The current period represents less of a rupture from than a reversion to the historical norm, in which great-power competition shapes the operating environment for trade and investment.
Southeast Asia remains a net beneficiary of this environment. In 2025, every regional economy experienced trade growth, including with the US, despite tariff pressures.
Businesses should look beyond the headline noise to track secular trends and seek opportunities to align their priorities with those of host economies.

Vietnam’s 2027 host year

Deputy Director General Nguyen Dang TRUNG from the Department of Economic Diplomacy at Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs set out a preview of where the country is considering focusing its 2027 agenda. Vietnam framed its host year against a domestic ambition of more than 10% annual GDP growth over the next five years, powered by a new growth model and significant domestic reforms.

The Vietnam delegation indicated that, based on ongoing consultations with member economies, themes are shaping up to include a focus on: science, technology and innovation; digital transformation; and economic and trade connectivity, with an emphasis on supply-chain resilience. Workforce and the future of work, the role of AI, and the care economy were also flagged as emerging topics.

Vietnam was clear that priorities remain provisional and that it is seeking private-sector input to shape them. The APEC CEO Summit is expected to be held in Phú Quốc in November 2027. A Science Week is expected to be organised in May. Four anchors emerged from the wider discussion:

Trade architecture

Vietnam intends to use its host year to reinforce open, rules-based trade and to position itself as a credible diversification destination in a “China plus one” environment.

Resilience

Supply-chain resilience, including in minerals, semiconductors, and other sectors of strategic interest, are also emerging as a recurring theme for several member economies.

Technology and AI

Domestic reforms, including Resolution 57, were cited as a priority, alongside a target for the digital economy to reach 30% of GDP by 2030. The host team pointed to industrial zones being opened for AI, R&D, and technology investment, and signalled appetite for joint ventures.

Energy security

Access to an affordable, stable energy supply was described as the most severe constraint on Vietnam’s growth ambitions, and also a likely area of focus during the host year.

The roundtable: private-sector priorities on record

Our roundtable surfaced clear private-sector priorities across three broad themes:

Health

Companies and associations across the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and consumer health sectors encouraged Vietnam to prioritise health, with topics such as sustainable health financing, regulatory convergence, and aging – including by hosting a high-level meeting on health and the economy.

Trade facilitation

Manufacturing and technology voices highlighted the cost of divergent customs systems and called for progress on paperless and interoperable trade. A digital labelling initiative was raised as a tool to improve access to product information.

AI adoption

Technology participants were clear that the economic and social benefits of AI accrue to economies that integrate it effectively across sectors. An AI adoption agenda was recommended around talent, infrastructure including data and data centres, and effective, interoperable governance frameworks.

At Access Partnership, we specialise in facilitating coordination between the public, private, and multilateral sectors. With a long-standing relationship with APEC, we continue to work closely with key stakeholders to advance public and private sector priorities. To find out how we can support you to succeed, please get in touch.