Xi hails a historic free trade move
Print Edition
THE Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit yesterday endorsed a route toward a vast free trade area in the region, host Chinese President Xi Jinping said, calling it a historic step.
The bloc had “approved the roadmap for APEC to promote and realize the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific,” Xi told a press conference after the conclusion of the two-day APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
He called it a historic step reflecting the “confidence and commitment of APEC members to promote the integration of the regional economy,” and symbolizing “the official launch of the process toward the FTAAP.”
The decision will bring integration to a new and higher level, benefit economies at various development stages across the Pacific Ocean and inject new energy into the growth of the region and APEC members, Xi said.
“We have reached consensus that regional economic integration is the driving force behind sustained strong growth in the Asia-Pacific, and APEC should continue to play a leading and coordinating role in pushing forward this process,” he said.
The Asia-Pacific trade pact was first proposed by an APEC business panel but China has taken the lead in promoting it.
The FTAAP would build on other initiatives including the smaller US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Besides accounting for more than 50 percent of global gross domestic product, 21-member APEC also makes up nearly half of world trade and 40 percent of the Earth’s population.
The APEC leaders also endorsed a proposal to work more closely to combat official corruption, Xi said.
Earlier reports said a network would consist of anti-corruption and law enforcement personnel from APEC member economies.
A regular contact mechanism and a law enforcement cooperation mechanism will be built under the network to facilitate information sharing and build up trust, and to investigate corruption, bribery, money laundering and illegal trade crimes.
The APEC leaders meeting saw a flurry of diplomatic activity, with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meeting US counterpart Barack Obama and, separately, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
A day earlier Xi met with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
It was the first formal leaders’ meeting for nearly three years between the Asian neighbors.
China is embroiled in territorial and historical disputes with Japan, but Abe stressed cooperation with Beijing after the summit, calling for the neighbors to press ahead with tentative efforts to put their deep hostility behind them.
“Japan and China, we need each other. We are in a way inseparably bound with each other,” Abe told reporters.
“Japan and China both have responsibility for peace and prosperity of the region and of the world,” he added.
Obama and Putin talked for about 15 to 20 minutes, according to the White House, on topics including Iran, Syria and Ukraine. The Russian leader also held talks with Abbott, who has publicly declared his anger at the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people including 38 Australian citizens and residents.
Abbott’s office underlined that evidence suggested a Russian-supplied missile from a launcher that was then returned to Russian territory was responsible, labeling it “a very serious matter.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
