What happened
At the CAC-organised high-level meeting "Asia-Pacific Pathway to AI Development — For Good and For All" on 24 July 2026 in Chengdu (reported 27 July 2026), Thailand's Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiyachanok Chidchob called for regional cooperation on trusted AI governance and formally proposed the creation of an APEC AI Governance Sandbox — a platform for governments, businesses and academic institutions to jointly test AI applications and exchange governance best practices — alongside a proposed "Guidance on Anti-Online Scams for APEC."
Why it matters
This is a distinct, named national proposal (separate from the already-covered APEC Chengdu Ministerial Statement) that would create a concrete cross-border regulatory sandbox mechanism for AI testing across APEC economies, potentially shaping how member states harmonize AI governance and combat AI-enabled scams regionally.
Action needed
Track APEC's uptake of the proposed AI Governance Sandbox and Anti-Online Scams Guidance in subsequent APEC Digital Week / Leaders' Meeting outputs (Shenzhen, November 2026) for adoption details and participation criteria.