At an APEC ministerial meeting in Chengdu on 23 July, member economies adopted a joint statement on digital technology and artificial intelligence, committing to harness AI and digital infrastructure for inclusive growth across the Asia‑Pacific. The same week, China’s president announced that Beijing would run 5,000 training programmes and seminars on AI for developing nations over the next five years, including a proposed cooperation centre with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Together, these moves formalise a widening Chinese push to embed its AI models and technical standards throughout emerging economies.

The multilateral framework is being reinforced by bilateral initiatives. Mexico’s science secretary confirmed that China’s minister for science and technology, Yin Hejun, would visit the country alongside a delegation of specialists for the first time since 2004, preparing a new bilateral agenda covering artificial intelligence, semiconductors, supercomputing, and robotics. Separately, Huawei and Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society unveiled a plan to develop digital infrastructure and AI training, aiming to position Thailand as the regional AI hub for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Huawei is also in talks with Mexican institutions on high‑performance computing and AI research.

Viewed from Latin America, the engagements are framed as opportunities to accelerate domestic scientific and technological capabilities. Mexico’s government pointed to existing joint research, such as work between its National Autonomous University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences on biological pest control, as a template for broader collaboration. The CELAC‑focused AI centre, if realised, would channel Chinese technology and training to a region where many governments have expressed interest in narrowing the digital divide. For Southeast Asian economies, the calculus is similar: Thailand’s bid to become an ASEAN AI hub, blessed by Chinese corporate investment, promises skilled jobs and infrastructure upgrades, though it also deepens reliance on Huawei‑led technology stacks.

Finance and central banking are not insulated from the trend. At the 31st Executive Meeting of East Asia‑Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP) in Singapore, governors from eleven jurisdictions, including Indonesia, Japan and Australia, agreed that AI can boost productivity and efficiency in monetary policy and financial supervision, but emphasised the need for strengthened governance. Bank Indonesia’s governor noted that successful AI adoption requires “synergy between people, processes and good governance”. The forum highlighted risks from over‑reliance on AI technology providers and cross‑border financial linkages, and resolved to share best practices on cyber resilience and digital fraud — concerns that parallel the governance discussions in APEC.