Jakarta, May 22 -- Trade ministers from the 21 APEC member economies discussed strengthening more open and rules-based trade cooperation to boost growth and expand opportunities amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.

"In the face of these complexities, APEC economies have demonstrated their resolve to jointly uphold the regional economic and trade order," said Li Chenggang, Vice Minister of Commerce, People's Republic of China, in APEC statement on its website, on Friday.

Discussions on strengthening the cooperation was held when the APEC ministers met in Suzhou, on Friday, and was held when shifts in trade patterns, supply chains and technology are reshaping the global economy, reinforcing the need for practical cooperation...