More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of CEOs say they will increase investment within Apec economies, compared with 31 per cent spread broadly across the world. For the majority (53 per cent) of Apec CEOs, progress towards free trade in the region has been slow over the past 12 months. The competitive environment in Apec economies is also changing, the findings showed. More CEOs see regional leaders in Apec economies (20 per cent) and multinationals based in emerging economies (18 per cent) as their leading rivals, compared with 12 and 10 per cent in 2014. Almost half of Apec CEOs believe China’s gross domestic product in the next three years will grow at or below 5-6 per cent a year on average.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 18, 2016 18:07 UTC