From October 31 to November 1, Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea, hosts the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders Meeting under the theme "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow Connect, Innovate, Prosper." On October 30, President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump met in Busan to explore avenues for collaboration on trade, innovation and climate challenges.
Meanwhile, across APEC economies, youth are making their voices heard. CGTNs "Act To Action" campaign has invited young people from every member economy to share stories on global governance. One participant stands out: Kyle Sykes, a 24-year-old American who studied in Beijing and Shanghai. He brings a first-person perspective on how cross-cultural experiences can drive mutual understanding.
"Living in the Chinese mainland opened my eyes to how innovation thrives when diverse minds cooperate," says Sykes. "Both nations are indispensable to global stability and innovation. The hope is that the two countries shift from competition to co-creation."
Sykes believes youth exchanges could be the catalyst for lasting partnerships. He points to student internships at tech startups in Shenzhen, joint research programs in renewable energy at California universities, and cross-border hackathons that address real-world challenges. Data from recent APEC reports shows a 15% rise in youth-led startups between G20 economies over the past two years.
For Sykes, a sustainable tomorrow starts at the grassroots level: "When young people from different backgrounds collaborate on projects—whether it’s clean-energy prototypes or digital health apps—they build not only solutions but lasting trust."
As the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting gets underway, voices like Kyles are more than commentary. They are a roadmap for how next-gen leaders can turn dialogue into shared action—and a reminder that global challenges need global co-creation.
Reference(s):
We Talk: An American youth's hope for win-win China-U.S. cooperation
cgtn.com
