Asia Pacific CEOs also say that China and the US are their dominant targets for investment over the next three to five years. Resource-rich areas such as Russia, Indonesia and Australia, and Asian services capitals like Hong Kong and Japan are also named as top draws for investment, PwC noted.

Meeting the need for talented and highly skilled workers remains a top priority for CEOs in Asia Pacific. While 40% say they plan to expand their workforce by at least 5% in the next three to five years, 42% think talent shortages in the region will worsen over the same time period, PwC said.

"Making progress on the many issues that face the diverse economies of the Asia Pacific region is no easy task," said Dennis Nally, PwC International Chairman. "CEOs have set some very clear challenges for the upcoming APEC summit. If the summit is to be deemed a success, we need to see some real progress on key issues such as harmonizing regulation and encouraging labor mobility in the APEC region."