APEC Reinforce Push Against Corruption to Safeguard Growth
Issued by the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group
“As corruption becomes more cross-border and technologically enabled, including through cryptocurrencies, a fragmented response is no longer sufficient,” said Chen Long, Chair of the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group.
“Denying safe haven to corrupt offenders and their assets, strengthening cross-border cooperation and fully leveraging data and digital tools must be at the core of our approach to protecting economic integrity and sustainable growth in the region,” Chen added.
The two-day meeting in Guangzhou focused on turning long-standing anti-corruption commitments into practical cooperation that supports integrity, resilience and inclusive prosperity.
Member economies exchanged updates on their implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and other APEC commitments, including measures to strengthen legislation, enforcement capacity and international cooperation. Several members highlighted progress in denying safe haven to corruption and improving coordination on asset recovery.
A central theme of the meeting was the impact of emerging technologies on corruption risks and enforcement strategies. Economies shared experiences in using open-source data, big data and artificial intelligence in corruption investigations, while examining new threats such as cryptocurrency-related money laundering.
Progress on initiatives scheduled for delivery in 2026 was reviewed, including regional publications aimed at improving access to anti-corruption information and strengthening prevention systems in public sector and law enforcement agencies.
Work also advanced on an initiative addressing crypto money laundering in corruption cases, which is expected to result in an APEC good practices compilation later this year.
In opening remarks, the official in charge of the International Cooperation Department of China’s National Commission of Supervision said that as trade, investment and cross-border capital flows continue to expand, corruption has become a shared challenge for all economies. The remarks stressed the need to strengthen collective efforts against corruption, build a clean business environment and advance practical cooperation to safeguard fairness, justice and shared prosperity across the Asia-Pacific.
Separate discussions with the group’s network brought together anti-corruption and law enforcement authorities, along with international organizations, to focus on operational cooperation, including asset recovery, cross-border corruption and links to organized crime.
Organizations such as the World Bank Group, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, Interpol and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank shared perspectives on strengthening coordination and information exchange to support regional and global anti-corruption efforts.
