“Globalisation isn't vanishing; it's changing. Growth is becoming more balanced, more digital and more distributed,” said Fraser. “Citi sees the APEC economies as an interconnected engine of global progress, spanning Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific.”

Citi's CEO outlined three themes shaping this transformation: resilience, innovation, and broad-based growth.

She noted that APEC economies, which account for 61 per cent of global GDP and over half of global trade, are strengthening supply chain resilience through diversification and regional collaboration.

Vietnam's rapid manufacturing expansion is a strong example of this adaptability.

On innovation, Fraser pointed to over $200 billion in private capital invested in emerging technologies across APEC since 2020, led by advances in generative AI, robotics, and clean energy.

Fraser also emphasised broad-based growth, highlighting Asia's fast-growing middle class and expanding digital services as key drivers of opportunity for both developed and emerging markets.

“The economies of APEC are not on parallel tracks. They're interconnected engines of global progress,” Fraser concluded. “Each depends on the other; for markets, capital, innovation, and stability. Citi is proud to play a role in enabling that growth, linking capital with ideas, and ambition with opportunity.”