Edward YAU Tang-wah, GBS, JP
邱腾华，太平绅士
前香港特区政府商务及经济发展局局长、行政长官办公室主任
Speaker Bio
Edward Yau has a long and distinguished career in the Government of Hong Kong, China. He served as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Secretary for Environment (2007-2012), Director of the Chief Executive’s Office (2012-2017), and Secretary of Commerce (2017-2022).
As Hong Kong SAR’s Commerce Secretary, Yau has successfully accomplished a record number of Free Trade and Investment Protection Agreements between Hong Kong and major partners including ASEAN, Australia, and Georgia.
He also represented Hong Kong, China at various international forum including the UN Climate Conference, World Trade Organisation and APEC Ministerial Meetings.
During his tenure, Mr Yau strived to uphold Hong Kong’s longstanding free trade reputation and promotes barrier free trade through bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations.
He led business delegations calling on major trading partners especially those along the ‘Belt and Road’ that connect with China through Hong Kong.
He is a frequent speaker in international media as well as university forum on trade, global economy and international relations.
After retiring from Government, Mr Yau has taken up charity and academic work including the Chairman of Hong Chi Association, a Non-Government Organisation providing educational and welfare services for people with intellectual disabilities; and the Distinguished Non-resident Fellow of HKU’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World. He is an Honorary Professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Keynote Abstract:
The Beacon and the Storm: Keeping APEC Afloat in an Age of Friction
Escalating trade wars, weaponized economics, and protectionist headwinds threaten to stall the decades-long APEC miracle. Today, all four pillars underlying the acronym—Asia-Pacific's identity, Economic focus, Cooperation, and Pacific peace—face severe fragmentation. This address directly confronts whether APEC can stay relevant as its foundational economic architecture is under attack.
Yet, drawing on historical resilience through past financial and security shocks, the address rejects absolute pessimism. The region's deep-seated pragmatic "savviness" remains intact, anchored by an intricate web of nearly 200 thriving plurilateral pacts—including soon to be upgraded FTAs and the expanding RCEP. These arrangements serve as vital institutional life jackets, keeping regional trade afloat despite geopolitical attempts to reverse globalization. Backed by steadfast pro-trade economies and the business community, the address argues strongly against abandoning the ship of open regionalism.
To prevent APEC from fading into exhaustion, a pragmatic five-pillar framework is proposed. It calls for an absolute rejection of a zero-sum, "closed shop" dynamic, emphasizing that true prosperity requires leaving no economy behind. Ahead of the Shenzhen summit, the address focuses on China’s profound responsibility as host to champion rules-based inclusivity, rebalance economic liberalization with technical cooperation, and unlock shared regional wealth in logistics, green technology, and cross-border trade in services.
