Experts focus on APEC opportunities: working together with the Asia-Pacific region towards a better future

Chinanews.com, November 11 (Chen Caixia, Huang Fang) On November 20, the 11 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting concluded in San Francisco, USA. The meeting issued the 17 APEC Leaders' San Francisco Declaration (San Francisco Declaration).

In this regard, on November 11, the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee held an expert symposium in Beijing. Xu Ningning, Chairman of the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee, Xu Liping, Researcher of the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Luo Yongkun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Lu Kejian, Vice President of the National Association of Japanese Economics, and Song Junying, Director of the Institute of Latin American and Caribbean Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, attended the meeting, fully affirming the great significance of the APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting and putting forward relevant analyses and suggestions.

On November 11, the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee held an expert symposium in Beijing. Photo by Huang Fang

"The implementation of the San Francisco Declaration will benefit the Asia-Pacific economy"

When presiding over the discussion and exchange, Xu Ningning interpreted the "2023 APEC Leaders' San Francisco Declaration". He pointed out that the "San Francisco Declaration" embodies the major concerns and needs of all parties involved in current economic development and cooperation, and reflects the trend of world development, and that the implementation of the Declaration "will be beneficial to the economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region."

On November 11, Xu Ningning, chairman of the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee, delivered a speech at the symposium. Photo by Huang Fang

"This meeting reflects that the Asia-Pacific region continues to be the most dynamic region for world economic growth." Xu Ningning said: He believes that since its establishment more than 30 years ago, APEC has continued to mature its mechanism and expanding its role, and APEC has become the "most realistic choice" for the cooperation and development of countries in the region today.

At the same time, Xu Ningning put forward six suggestions on how to implement the actions of all parties after the APEC meeting and better translate the San Francisco Declaration from words into practical results, including that the business community outside the Asia-Pacific region should look for business opportunities in the San Francisco Declaration; enhancing people-to-people exchanges; create a good social environment for the development of economic cooperation; and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to build it into the world's largest free trade area.

"APEC brings a new 'period of strategic opportunity' to the Asia-Pacific region"

Xu Liping believes that one of the main highlights of this APEC meeting is to promote organizational structural reform.

Xu Liping said that the main problem facing the current international situation is the suspension of the dispute settlement mechanism. For example, the United States' "blockade" of Chinese chips actually violates the relevant rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). APEC can establish an institutional guarantee to prevent "decoupling and chain breaking" in the Asia-Pacific region, and effectively bind all parties. "APEC parties have reached a consensus that economic sanctions cannot be arbitrarily imposed."

On November 11, Xu Liping, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a speech at the symposium. Photo by Huang Fang

"I think this is very important, as on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting mechanism, continuing to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation will help the WTO regain its vitality and vitality." Xu Liping said.

Luo Yongkun, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary State Relations, believes that the China-US summit and the APEC meeting have brought a new "period of strategic opportunities" for cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Luo Yongkun pointed out that in the context of the global geopolitical game, China's concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has been increasingly recognized by all countries, and all parties in the Asia-Pacific region do not want to "decouple and break the chain". In addition, countries in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region hope that China will help promote multilateral institutional reform and maintain regional stability. Brunei, for example, has expressed the hope that China will play an important role in the ASEAN region.

In the future, how can China and Southeast Asian countries make good use of the "window period" to deepen cooperation? Luo Yongkun proposed that all parties should carry out reform, upgrading and cooperation in key supply chains and industrial chains, and earnestly implement the spirit of the APEC conference to promote the stable development of multilateral relations in the region.

"China's four major advantages are hugely attractive"

Lu Kejian pointed out that "the periphery is the primary, the big countries are the key, the developing countries are the foundation, and the multilateral is an important stage. He stressed that APEC is an important stage, and China plays an important role in this stage.

Song Junying said that China's initiatives and propositions are particularly in line with the differentiated needs of countries in the Global South. At the same time, China's four major advantages still exist, including: the socialist market economic system, the demand of the super-large-scale market, the land supply with a complete industrial supporting system, and a large number of high-quality talents.

"Latin American countries are also seeing this. Due to the new crown epidemic, their economic development has encountered great difficulties, and everyone is very optimistic about the Chinese market at present. "So I think APEC is still very important to us in such a context." "At present, China has established a summit mechanism with the Middle East and Africa. If more summit mechanisms can be formed with Latin American countries, China's diplomatic layout will be more perfect.

On November 11, Song Junying, director of the Institute of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, delivered a speech at the forum. Photo by Huang Fang

At the same time, he believes that as a trans-regional, trans-Pacific economic cooperation organization, APEC's success is due to its advocacy of the concept of "open regionalism", which is in sharp contrast to the closed protectionism of individual countries advocating blocs and blocs. (ENDS)