Central News (Central News Agency, Kuala Lumpur, July 1 -- Reporter Huang Tzu-chiang) The 39th Asia Pacific Roundtable kicked off today. Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Johan Abdul Ghani, stated at the pre-conference welcome dinner that maintaining national autonomy is not about choosing sides, but about retaining the ability to make independent decisions and preserving strategic flexibility in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. The 39th Asia Pacific Roundtable (APR) is being held in Kuala Lumpur from June 30 to July 2. This year's theme is "Accelerating Agency and Action," inviting government officials, scholars, think tanks, and business representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region to jointly discuss regional security, economic, and strategic issues amidst geopolitical shifts. Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Johan Abdul Ghani, speaking at the welcome dinner last night, said that autonomy means diversifying partners, strengthening resilience, cultivating new capabilities, and preserving the strategic space needed to pursue national interests. He pointed out that one of the most representative challenges today lies at the intersection of economics and geopolitics, and therefore it is essential to ensure this intersection brings "resilience, not fragmentation; security, not exclusivity; prosperity, not division." He believes that traditionally, economic diplomacy has been closely linked to trade negotiations, market access, and investment promotion. Today, facing escalating geopolitical challenges, economic diplomacy must be viewed from a broader perspective, and foreign policy should serve as a platform for securing economic opportunities, strengthening resilience, supporting technological upgrades, promoting investment, and expanding national strategic options. The Asia Pacific Roundtable is an annual conference hosted by ISIS Malaysia, and it is one of Southeast Asia's most representative Track II diplo