PECC Flagship Report
Asia-Pacific optimism holds despite trade headwinds, but AI gains hinge on capacity
PECC’s State of the Region 2026–2027 finds leaders more confident in the Asia-Pacific than the global economy, wary of protectionism, and calling on APEC to turn AI adoption into shared prosperity.
Optimism is tempered by mounting headwinds
“Increased protectionism and trade wars” is the most serious risk
Respondents’ top priorities for APEC
Protectionism and trade wars is the No. 1 priority, with AI adoption and its risks in the top five
AI Adoption in the Asia-Pacific: Pathways to Economic Opportunities
AI boosts efficiency and productivity; on labor market the most common answer is “no impact”
Preparations are failing to keep pace
Digital infrastructure is the strongest foundation; AI safety frameworks and reskilling lag
Capacity building as a central pillar of regional cooperation
Tackling AI-enabled scams and cyberattacks is the top ask, followed by reskilling and AI infrastructure
Fears of AI-driven job losses have yet to materialize
Although displacement remains a major policy concern, how many respondents reported AI-related layoffs?
Out of 100, take a guess.
“AI is already raising productivity across our region, but the gains will not spread on their own.
The priority now is to
- invest in people,
- build trusted and interoperable rules, and
- help every economy, especially smaller ones and MSMEs, put them into practice.
APEC is the right platform to do that.”
PECC Co-Chairs Richard Cantor and Zhan YongxinRead the full report
This page covers the survey results in Annex A. The full report has the analysis behind them.
www.pecc.org/research/state-of-the-regionSource: PECC, State of the Region 2026–2027, Annex A (Asia-Pacific Policy Community Survey). Shares are of respondents.