APEC Beijing: China is ready

By Wang Yi

China.org.cn, November 3, 2014

China hosted the ninth APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2001. Now, 13 years later, APEC has come to China once again. This is a mission entrusted by the economies and regions in the Asia-Pacific, and it shows their trust in China. All APEC members look to this year's event for consensus and real breakthroughs in regional integration. They look to the Asia-Pacific region for maintaining prosperity and development and driving global economic recovery and growth. And they look to China, the second-largest economy in the world, to leverage its role as host to make fresh contributions to APEC's development and the Asia-Pacific's revitalization.

With expectations comes pressure, and more importantly, impetus. Over the past year, in close communication with other APEC members, China has made meticulous plans for the theme, topics and outcomes of the meetings. "Shaping the Future Through Asia-Pacific Partnership" is the theme and "Advancing Regional Economic Integration", "Promoting Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth" and "Strengthening Comprehensive Development in Infrastructure and Connectivity" are the three major topics. Such designs are in line with the trend of economic development in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world.

President Xi and the Chinese government attach great importance to the APEC meeting in Beijing. We look forward to having in-depth exchanges and positive interactions with other APEC members during the meeting, thus adding new impetus to the APEC process. With the concerted efforts of all parties, the APEC meeting in Beijing is expected to produce a long list of outcomes and make new breakthroughs in the following three priority areas:

First, APEC members will launch the process for the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and take a new step forward in achieving regional economic integration. The realization of the FTAAP is a long-standing consensus and vision of APEC economic leaders. It will help consolidate the various bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms in the region, and minimize the risks caused by overlapping and fragmented free trade arrangements. Through coordination and cooperation with APEC members, an important consensus will be reached on the launch of the FTAAP process during the meeting in Beijing, sending a clear signal of enhanced regional integration and turning this long-standing vision into concrete actions.