The 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have adopted a joint statement supporting the continued development of open source artificial intelligence while emphasising the need for stronger security, data protection and regulatory oversight.
The Chengdu Statement, released on Thursday following a ministerial meeting, highlights a growing international effort to balance innovation in AI with safeguards aimed at addressing cybersecurity, privacy and intellectual property concerns.
The agreement includes support for open source AI models and projects that incorporate robust security measures throughout their development and deployment. It also stresses the importance of respecting data protection standards and intellectual property rights as AI technologies become more widely adopted.
The statement marks one of the clearest indications yet that governments are seeking a more active role in shaping the future of open source AI. While open source software has traditionally been associated with unrestricted collaboration and minimal oversight, policymakers are increasingly advocating for security standards and governance frameworks as AI systems become more capable.
China has emerged as one of the leading contributors to open source AI development, with companies such as DeepSeek and Zhipu AI, developer of the GLM 5.2 model, releasing AI models that can be freely downloaded and used. This contrasts with several major U.S. AI companies, including Anthropic, which primarily offer proprietary models through commercial subscription services.
According to Li Lecheng, China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology, the Chengdu Statement represents the first APEC ministerial agreement to explicitly include cooperation on open source AI.
Li said participating economies acknowledged the risks associated with artificial intelligence while encouraging greater collaboration among governments, businesses and academic institutions to strengthen cybersecurity, improve supply chain resilience and combat online fraud.
Industry analysts say the agreement reflects a broader shift in how governments view open source AI.
Winston Ma, an adjunct professor of law at New York University, said the statement’s emphasis on open source ecosystems and computing infrastructure suggests that Asia-Pacific economies are increasingly supporting open-weight AI models alongside coordinated investments in digital infrastructure, telecommunications and energy systems.
Wei Sun, Principal Analyst for Artificial Intelligence at Counterpoint Research, described the agreement as a significant milestone because it brings together economies with differing approaches to AI regulation, including both the United States and China.
According to Sun, the reference to “strong security assurance” provides governments with a framework to support open source AI while maintaining requirements for security testing, transparency, data protection and deployment safeguards. She noted that the discussion is evolving beyond the traditional debate between open and closed AI models and is increasingly focused on building AI ecosystems that governments and businesses can trust.
Beyond artificial intelligence, APEC officials also discussed emerging technologies expected to shape future digital infrastructure.
Janet De Silva, Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council’s Digital and Innovation Working Group, urged member economies to begin preparing for the widespread adoption of quantum computing. She emphasized the importance of developing trusted encryption technologies capable of protecting financial systems while also enabling new opportunities for economic competitiveness.
The Chengdu Statement signals a growing consensus among Asia-Pacific economies that the future of artificial intelligence will require both continued innovation and stronger governance. As open-source AI becomes more influential, governments are increasingly seeking ways to encourage collaboration while ensuring that advanced models are developed and deployed under clear security and regulatory standards.
