Against a backdrop of trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, and rapid digital change, experts examined how APEC China 2026 is shaping Asia Pacific’s policy agenda.

For China, the implications of the conflict in Iran extend far beyond a mere energy shock; it represents a veritable watershed moment.

Climate change is transforming the South China Sea into a human security frontier, displacing vulnerable coastal communities and driving irregular maritime movement across borders. ASEAN’s current maritime governance overlooks climate mobility and integrating it into regional rules and institutions is essential to prevent escalating humanitarian crises from devolving into strategic instability.

Grey-zone friction over fisheries and maritime access currently poses the greatest risk of escalation in the South China Sea. Southeast Asian states should prioritise technology-enabled, issue-specific maritime governance and selectively partner with non-escalatory external actors, like the European Union (EU), to strengthen surveillance and enforcement capacity without attempting to resolve sovereignty disputes.