APEC leaders focused their discussions on four main topics.

On November 14th, the 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week opened in Lima, Peru.

The APEC Week 2016 had the theme "Quality Growth and Human Resource Development: Foundations for Sustainable Growth in the Asia-Pacific."

The event, held from November 14 to 20, brought together leaders, senior officials, and businesspeople from 21 APEC member economies to discuss the future of international trade policies, economic growth, and improving living conditions.

APEC leaders focused their discussions on four main topics.

At the conference, APEC leaders will focus on four main priorities: regional economic integration and quality growth, regional food markets, modernization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and human capital development.

These were also the overarching themes that host country Peru and the other 20 member economies promoted throughout APEC 2016.

Against the backdrop of slowing regional and global economic and trade growth, coupled with security and environmental issues significantly impacting the prospects for sustainable development, APEC leaders will discuss the current state of the global and regional economy, and concrete measures to promote trade and investment liberalization, regional economic integration, and quality growth.

Leaders will also discuss ways to promote the internationalization and participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, which account for 97% of all businesses in APEC economies) in global value chains, identifying common goals to maximize opportunities from digital trade, services, and the knowledge economy.

In light of climate change and water scarcity, leaders will discuss enhancing APEC's role as a mechanism to promote policies addressing the threat of food insecurity.

To promote deeper economic integration in the region, measures to strengthen hard connections, digital connections, institutional connections, and people-to-people connections in the Asia-Pacific region will also be key topics of discussion among leaders.

In a related development, on the same day, on the sidelines of the event, Chinese and Peruvian businesses signed trade agreements worth $2 billion, covering light industry, textiles, agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, metals, and mining.

Established in 1989, APEC is a forum of 21 Asia-Pacific economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.

The APEC member countries region has approximately 2.8 billion people, accounting for 57% of the world's total GDP and 49% of global trade.

APEC seeks to promote free trade and investment, facilitate businesses, and foster economic cooperation, with the aim of developing the economies of its member countries.

According to Vietnamplus