Introduction to APEC

APEC adopts the principle of voluntary and consensus cooperation, and all decisions must be approved by all members. The organizational structure of APEC includes informal leaders' meeting, ministerial meeting, senior officials' meeting, committee and special working group, among which informal leaders' meeting is the highest level meeting of APEC.

APEC's voluntary and coordinated consultation mechanism not only facilitates negotiations among government officials of various countries, but also benefits the integration of people from academic circles, business circles and various associations in society. Under such a mechanism, various conferences and forums organized by APEC are more open and innovative, and can absorb the voice of academia, business community and research institutions.

In 2004, the APEC E-commerce group launched discussions on paperless trade with the aim of helping foreign trade enterprises in APEC economies establishes an international interconnection platform. Professor Wang Jian participated in the seminar of APEC E-commerce group, and through the research and experience summary of these platforms, he wrote the APEC paperless trade development assessment report (the English version of the report can be downloaded from the official website of APEC).

The 2010 APEC annual meeting was held in San Francisco, USA. Professor Wang Jian, on behalf of the Chinese government, introduced the development and trend of China's cross-border E-commerce to APEC economies for the first time. In the follow-up APEC meetings in Russia, Malaysia and China, led by the Ministry of Commerce of China, the Chinese government has gradually included the development of cross-border E-commerce into the discussion topics of the E-commerce working group, and has been generally responded by APEC economies. In 2014, the Mexican government specially invited Professor Wang Jian to attend the Internet Conference and E-commerce conference jointly organized by the Ministry of economy and the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Mexican government. At the conference, Professor Wang Jian introduced the development and trend of cross-border E-commerce in China.

After above mentioned activities, the APEC E-commerce group adjusted its direction on the basis of paperless trade, and the topic of discussion gradually evolved into the exploration of diversified cross-border E-commerce innovation modes. When it comes to cross-border E-commerce, the privacy of cross-border data will inevitably be involved. Therefore, between 2014 and 2015, Professor Wang Jian made a research report on cross-border data privacy to the Ministry of Commerce of China. This research report on APEC cross-border data privacy was highly praised by the Ministry of Commerce of China.

Professor Wang Jian and his research team have always attached great importance to participating in cross-border and international exchanges. The Research Report on APEC cross-border data privacy has been recognized by the United Nations and published as a publication of the United Nations International Trade Center. At the same time, Professor Wang Jian also participated in many UN international trade policy consultations in the name of APEC Research Center for cross border E-commerce innovation and development.

In recent years, Professor Wang Jian and his research team are still committed to tracking and studying the development and trend of E-commerce in the field of foreign trade, and actively participate in various meetings and activities of the APEC E-commerce group.

It is necessary for APEC to establish cross-border E-commerce center. In recent years, the rapid development of China's E-commerce, especially some cross-border E-commerce website platforms, such as Alibaba, dunhuang.com, dalong.com and now Tiktok and Temu, have brought new challenges and opportunities to China's foreign trade reform and transformation. Since 2013, China's foreign trade field has formed a new foreign trade single window mode of comprehensive foreign trade service enterprises. The emergence of this mode is market driven, which has brought unprecedented convenience to small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of foreign trade to participate in the international market.

The rapid development of China's cross-border E-commerce has gradually caused domestic experts to discuss the reform of foreign trade system and foreign trade supervision mode. At the same time, international dialogue and international coordination have become necessary. The 2012 APEC meeting was held in Malaysia. Led by the Chinese government, APEC economies participated in the negotiation of free trade agreements to discuss the promotion of cross-border E-commerce negotiations. Cross border E-commerce has increasingly become one of the main topics of bilateral or multilateral concern in Global trade negotiations. E-commerce has gradually set up separate chapters in various international agreements and cooperation agreements.

In order to study the cross-border E-commerce development in China and the challenges faced by international and domestic issues, Professor Wang Jian, under the leadership of the Department of E-commerce and information technology of the Ministry of Commerce of China, actively organized various preparatory work and put forward the APEC cross-border E-commerce innovation and development initiative in the first senior officials' meeting (Ningbo meeting) of 2014 APEC China annual meeting. At the same time, it proposed the proposal to set up the "APEC Research Center for cross border E-commerce innovation and development" in the University of international business and economics, which received positive responses from various economies.

On November 11, 2014, the 22nd informal meeting of APEC leaders was held in Beijing. The meeting issued the Beijing agenda: building an integrated, innovative and interconnected Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' declaration. The declaration adopted the APEC cross border E-commerce innovation and development initiative, and encouraged all economies to establish an "APEC cross-border E-commerce innovation and Development Research Center".

On November 16, 2014, the APEC cross border E-commerce innovation and Development Research Center was established in Beijing, with Professor Wang Jian of the University of international business and economics as its director.

In 2021, Shenzhen Yanhuang Cornerstone Technology Industry Research Institute and APEC cross border E-commerce innovation and Development Research Center jointly established the APEC-CBEC-GBA (APEC cross-border E-commerce innovation and Development Research Center, Great Bay Area Sub-center).