China's chief trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, called on Asia-Pacific economies to reject zero-sum thinking and work together to expand and fairly divide the economic pie, as trade ministers from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum met in Suzhou for a two-day gathering, reported Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

Mr. Li, a vice-minister of commerce, emphasized that Apec's value lies in uniting diverse economies with different priorities and structures. He urged members to approach issues objectively and pragmatically to find common ground for cooperation.

Addressing regional trade imbalances, Carlos Kuriyama, director of the Policy Support Unit at the Apec Secretariat, stated that surplus-heavy nations such as China should increase imports, while deficit economies must strengthen their competitiveness.

Kuriyama noted China's transformation into a global producer and stressed that its next challenge is to become a global market. He added that deficit economies should improve investment efficiency and productivity to achieve balanced growth.