Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday called for bigger APEC
role in backing multilateral trading system and enhancing economic
and technical cooperation in the region and the world as a
whole.
President Hu made the call in his speech at the 14th Economic
Leaders' Informal Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) that is going on in Hanoi.
In his address, Hu said, in keeping with the principle of
consensus, voluntarism and gradual progress, the 21-member APEC has
conducted fruitful exchange and cooperation on major economic
issues that are of common interest to its members and has boosted
the economic growth in the region and among APEC members.
But he stressed in a new international and regional environment,
APEC should play a bigger role in three areas.
First, Hu said, APEC should support the development of the
multilateral trading system, which is crucial to the economy of the
Asia-Pacific and world at large.
Hu highlighted the Doha Round of negotiations, saying APEC has
played a major role in promoting the growth of the multilateral
trading system and the current meeting should send a clear message
to the world that Doha negotiations should be resumed speedily and
major parties concerned work in a responsible and flexible manner
to bridge their gaps.
Hu also said APEC should play a bigger role in efforts to meet
the Bogor Goals, which the president said chart the future course
of APEC and are a criterion for gauging the performance of the
organization.
Moreover, President Hu called for more efforts of the regional
bloc in enhancing economic and technical cooperation.
Hu said many APEC members lack adequate experience and
capability to respond to some new problems and challenges emerging
in recent years in areas of financial security and public health
security.
The bloc should increase input and make more effective
cooperation to help developing members of APEC improve their
international competitiveness and their capacity to meet these
challenges, Hu added.
He announced China will contribute US$2 million to the APEC
Support Fund to strengthen economic and technical cooperation in
the region.
Other leaders of APEC members in their speeches also urged
resumption of the Doha Round of negotiations as early as possible
and enhancement of multilateral trading system.
In another development, during the meeting, the leaders
discussed the arrangement of regional trade, agreeing that related
arrangement has played a positive role in promoting regional
economic development and economic and trade exchanges.
They also exchanged views on plan of establishing an
Asia-Pacific free trade area.
The APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting is the highest-level
meeting of the organization, which has been held once every year
since 1993 in its different members.
(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2006)