The end of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Quantitative Easing (QE) monetary policy will affect U.S. growth predictions over the next two years, and may weaken the U.S. dollar. However, as Xiao Lian contends, this might not have an obvious impact on China, yet could result in new development opportunities – as well as new risks.

While many of China’s largest brands – Haier, Huawei and Xiaomi – have not yet become household names, Joel Backaler describes how China’s domestic market is changing and the companies that are focusing on developing their brand internationally.

The initiatives and enormous investments turned the APEC meeting in Beijing from a “talk shop” to one of action. Han Liqun stresses that all APEC member economies should be fully confident in building an open and liberal economic and trade environment in the Asia-Pacific.

China is the leading advocate for progress in the form of a “feasibility study” on an inclusive new regional trade agreement, the FTAAP. Concerned that this will detract from U.S. regional interests, the FTAAP ironically has provided impetus for the completion of the U.S.-led TPP proposal.

He Weiwen dislodges the notion that the FTAAP is inherently in opposition to the TPP by discussing APEC plans to phase out regional free trade agreements in favor of creating a singular FTAAP; this more inclusive agreement which would serve as the “greatest common denominator” for standards and investment treaties in the Asian Pacific.

China’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy is Xi’s new scheme to effectively interconnect the trade routes between China and the rest of the world. The United States need not consider it a hegemonic challenge, but rather work to collaborate in the region’s common development.

China has introduced a new housing credit policy, designed to increase demand for real estate, and to get China’s economy back onto a fast track for growth, writes Yi Xianrong.

The Asian Pacific has seen a proliferation of Free Trade Associations over the years due to changing value chains, laws, and regional competition. Zhang Monan posits that the FTAAP would be the most beneficial and inclusive solution for the approaching APEC meeting in Beijing.

The web of overlapping free trade agreements in the Asian Pacific have largely excluded Taiwan, and the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may be an option for inclusion. Taiwan’s unique position as an independent, export economy while still reliant on Mainland China, could actually be mutually beneficial for the region.

Dan Steinbock discusses the history of Asian-Pacific regional trade zones, and the U.S.’s geopolitical trade concerns with APEC. For the U.S. to see greater economic cooperation with China, it should consider the more inclusive FTAAP proposal.