China’s Xi calls for ‘relaunch’ of Asia-Pacific cooperation

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China’s President Xi Jinping has called for the “relaunch” of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We should stay committed to the founding mission of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), never forget our mission bestowed by history, and move to relaunch Asia-Pacific cooperation,” Xi told the summit of leaders of APEC in San Francisco on Thursday.

Xi stressed “right norms” for state-to-state relations to “maintain Asia-Pacific prosperity and stability through dialogue and partnership rather than confrontation and alliance.”

“The region cannot and should not be an arena for geopolitical rivalry, still less should it be plunged into a new cold war or camp-based confrontation,” he said, adding peace “does not come by easily, and development is a long and arduous task.”

The leaders of the 21-member APEC met for a summit in the US city of San Francisco this week which was hosted by Xi’s American counterpart Joe Biden. Many leaders from Asia attended the summit.

“Openness and inclusiveness are the defining feature of Asia-Pacific cooperation,” said Xi.

“Development in our region has been achieved not through provoking antagonism and confrontation, pursuing a beggar-thy-neighbor policy, or erecting high fences around a small yard, but by staying open and inclusive and drawing on each other’s strengths,” he said.

He said the story of Asia-Pacific prosperity and development “shows that development is only possible with cooperation, absence of cooperation is the biggest risk, and that decoupling and supply-chain disruption are not in anyone’s interests.”

“We should remain committed to open regionalism, and steadfastly advance the building of a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific,” he added.

In an apparent gesture to investors, Xi said China’s economy “has been steadily recovering and turning for the better” this year.

“Its growth rate is among the highest among major economies of the world. And solid gains have been made in our pursuit of high-quality development. China remains the most powerful engine of global growth,” he said, calling on business communities to “deepen your footprint in China.”

“The ‘next China’ is still China,” he added.