Ding Xuexiang Opens APEC Energy Ministers Meeting in Beijing

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang addressed the opening ceremony of the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Ministers Meeting in Beijing on September 10, 2026, calling for deeper regional cooperation on energy security and sustainable development as the Asia-Pacific grapples with a severe global energy supply shock. The meeting, themed “Building an Inclusive, Innovative and Coordinated Asia-Pacific Energy Community,” drew roughly 300 participants, including energy ministers and representatives of APEC economies and heads of international organizations.

Ding, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China would “always defend the stability of global energy markets, contribute to the global green and low-carbon transition, and participate in international energy cooperation,” according to the State Council of China, which published the Xinhua report in English.

Context: A Meeting Under Pressure

The gathering took place against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict over the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted navigation through the vital chokepoint since late February 2026. According to Bastille Post Global, the disruption has caused “the largest oil supply shock on record,” with ongoing daily shortfalls in the multi-million-barrel range, exposing the structural vulnerabilities of the Asia-Pacific, the world’s largest energy-consuming region.

This is the first time China has hosted the APEC Energy Ministers Meeting in 12 years, since 2014. The event is one of 11 specialized ministerial meetings under China’s APEC chairmanship in 2026, whose overarching theme is “Building an Asia-Pacific Community, Promoting Common Prosperity.”

Three Proposals for Regional Cooperation

Ding framed China’s position around President Xi Jinping’s “Four Revolutions, One Cooperation” energy security strategy, noting that China’s energy supply capacity has continued to strengthen and its new energy industry has grown rapidly, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The vice premier put forward three proposals: strengthening inclusive sharing by implementing APEC’s initiative to enhance energy accessibility and prioritizing “small and beautiful” green energy projects; strengthening innovation cooperation through joint research on new-type energy storage and digital grids; and strengthening coordinated governance by practicing true multilateralism and ensuring the stable operation of energy supply chains.

Crisis as Catalyst

The supply shock has hit import-dependent economies across the region hard, but some delegates see it as an accelerant for the energy transition. “From our end in Papua New Guinea, we face the impacts of the war in Iran. We are an import-based economy. It did affect us in a great way,” delegate Conrad Kumul told Bastille Post.

Steivan Defilla, president assistant of the APEC Sustainable Energy Center, an international energy think tank led by China’s National Energy Administration, argued the economics of the crisis now favor renewables. “The idea now is to push very much forward with the energy transition, even more than before. Now actually, the oil prices are so high that the comparatively renewable energies are very low in price,” he said.

Analysis: Diplomacy at a Critical Juncture

The Beijing meeting serves two overlapping purposes for China. First, it positions the country as a stabilizing force in a disrupted global energy market, a message reinforced by Ding’s framing of China as a “maintainer” of market stability and a “doer” of international energy cooperation. Second, it advances Beijing’s broader APEC agenda ahead of the Leaders’ Meeting in November, using the energy portfolio to build momentum for its vision of an Asia-Pacific community.

The gathering is among the most consequential diplomatic events of China’s APEC year. Rather than sending a mid-level official, Ding’s personal presence signals the priority Beijing assigns to energy security and to shaping regional rules on supply chains and the green transition.

What’s Next

China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, in November 2026, its third time hosting the event after Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014. Recommendations from the energy ministerial are expected to feed into that summit, where leaders will weigh how far Asia-Pacific economies can collectively harden their energy systems against future shocks.