APEC Leaders Vow to Maintain Free Trade System
17:53 JST, November 17, 2024
Lima, Peru (Jiji Press)—Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening the free trade system amid growing concerns over the spread of protectionism.
“We acknowledge the importance of, and will continue to work to deliver a free, open, fair, nondiscriminatory, transparent, inclusive and predictable trade and investment environment,” the leaders of the 21-member APEC said in a statement adopted at the end of their two-day summit in Lima, Peru.
The APEC leaders also said, “We reaffirm our support for the rules-based multilateral trading system.”
In a separate statement, the APEC leaders said the group will analyze areas of divergence and convergence in existing free trade agreements to promote work on a proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, or FTAAP. APEC will review the analysis in 2030.
On the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, a chair’s statement said, “Some economies considered that these issues have an impact on the global economy and could be treated in APEC, while other economies do not believe that APEC is a forum to discuss these issues.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told his APEC counterparts that he is gravely concerned about expanding military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia to assist in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
"World" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
China to Test Mine for Rare Metals Off Japan Island; Japan Lagging in Technologies Needed for Extraction
-
U.N. Panel Resolution Raps N. Korea’s Human Rights Violations
-
Russian Methane Emissions ‘Greater Than It Reported’; Japanese Satellite Detected Higher Levels In 2009-20
-
Fatah Executive Calls on Next U.S. Administration to Change Policy; Trump Called to Push for Gaza Ceasefire
-
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Urges Respect for International Law, Reforms to U.N. in Address at G20
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Malaysia Growing in Popularity as Destination for Studying Abroad; British-style Education Available at Low Cost
- APEC Leaders Vow to Maintain Free Trade System
- Ministry Eyes Improving Night-School Japanese Lessons; Aim Is To Help Foreigners Complete Junior High School
- China to Test Mine for Rare Metals Off Japan Island; Japan Lagging in Technologies Needed for Extraction
- Christmas TV Movies Are in Their Taylor Swift Era, with Two Swift-inspired Films Airing This Year