Full coverage: Xi Visits Ecuador, Peru and Chile, Attends APEC Summit

China has played a key role at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, Economic Leaders conference. This year in Lima,  the country is likely to carry even more weight in shaping trade and economic growth around the Pacific, from where CCTV's Dan Collyns has this report.

The recent presidential election in the United States may have opened up an opportunity for China at this forum of 21 economies.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has voiced his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a U.S.-led trade deal which includes 12 APEC members, but excludes China.

The chance that TTP may not be ratified by the U.S. Congress has given China the opportunity to argue for the faster adoption of a broader free trade area.

"The question is not if it will play a role but how much of a role it will play. Officials have already indicated that China will be leading negotiations for a free trade deal in the Asia-Pacific region," said Dan Collyns.

The Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific would include all 21 APEC economies. Progress on consolidating a deal would be made at the meeting, Peru's trade minister told CCTV:"What I am expecting is a roadmap to reach this agreement that is not going to be in the short term, that is going to be in the medium term, but what we will have on the table will have the approval of China and the United States."

Ferreyros added TPP signatory Peru was also interested in joining another China-backed trade bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Beyond trade, China can help drive development in emerging APEC economies, said APEC coordinator, Julio Chan:"Within the APEC forum China is a major actor and the Chinese contributions to different activities in APEC is very important and is becoming more and more relevant. In that sense of all things related to innovation and technology, China has a leading role in developing initiative that is helpful to everyone especially developing economies like Peru."

As part of the agenda set by the host country Peru, this forum will focus on human capital and integrating small businesses into international trade.

Those are areas where China is expected to lead by example.