Yokohama APEC Focuses On Eight Hot Spots In The Asia Pacific Region

2010

Hot spot 1: assessment of regional economic situation

At present, the prospects for world economic recovery still face many uncertainties.

Although the Asia Pacific region is leading the global economic recovery, the pace of economic recovery of the developed and developing members of APEC is changing rapidly, showing a polarization trend.

APEC members believe that the economic future of the Asia Pacific region will face four major challenges: sharp fluctuations in exchange rate and pnational capital flows, employment creation, consolidation of government finances, and a balance between maintaining the momentum of economic recovery and implementing fiscal and financial exit strategies.

In order to meet the challenges, APEC members need to pay more attention to the quality of economic growth while maintaining the pace of economic growth, and continue to strengthen the goal of regional economic integration.

Hot spot two: review the progress of "Bogor target"

At the informal meeting of APEC leaders in Indonesia in 1994, APEC members put forward the "Bogor goal" aimed at achieving the liberalization of trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region, that is, by 2010, the developed members of APEC should achieve trade and investment liberalization. By 2020, the members of APEC development should also achieve this goal.

This year marks the first year of the APEC target of Bogor. A total of 5 developed members from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States were accreditation, and 8 developing members of Chile, China, Hongkong, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and China Taipei accepted the review voluntarily.

At present, although APEC members have made great progress in achieving the "Bogor goals", there is still a lot of work to do.

Hot spot three: promoting regional economic integration

In the past 21 years since its establishment, APEC has been committed to promoting regional economic integration. Its vision is to establish a "super" free trade area, which is about 53% of the world's total, the so-called Asia Pacific Free Trade Area (FTAAP).

At this year's APEC summit, members of the APEC and business circles in the Asia Pacific region have launched heated discussions on how to achieve the ambitious goal of the Asia Pacific Free Trade Zone.

At present, the relatively mature FTA system in the Asia Pacific region is "10+3", that is, the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea's FTA.

In addition, the "10+6" mechanism is envisaged in this area, namely, the 10 ASEAN countries plus China, Japan and South Korea, as well as India, Australia and New Zealand, but the recognition of the mechanism remains to be improved.

On the eve of the Yokohama conference, the most prominent feature of Japan's public opinion on the p Pacific economic strategic partnership agreement (TPP) is the 100% tariff revocation.

But it is clear that the path choice is not an either or a question in how to achieve the grand vision of the Asia Pacific Free Trade Zone.

Either way, as long as it helps to promote economic integration in the Asia Pacific region, it is worth exploring and trying.

Hot spot four: a new strategy for economic growth

The international financial crisis has given the Asia Pacific region the opportunity to re-examine its economic growth strategy.

As early as the Singapore APEC leaders meeting in 2009, many people suggested that although the Asia Pacific region economy began to recover, it could not go back to the old road in the way of economic growth, otherwise the crisis could be repeated in the future.

At this year's APEC conference, the leaders of the meeting will put forward a new strategy of extensive economic growth, which includes 5 main contents: achieving balanced growth, balancing the economic growth of APEC members and balancing the economic structure among members, achieving inclusive growth, enabling economic development to benefit larger groups, achieving sustainable growth, making economic development more environmentally friendly and green based, achieving innovative growth, making economic growth more dependent on innovation, and achieving security growth to ensure economic and personal safety while providing economic growth, and provide a safe environment for economic growth.

Since its establishment, APEC has established a wide range of cooperation mechanisms. In recent years, many progress and consensus have been made in enhancing the field of human security.

Specifically, human security mainly includes food safety, disaster response, counter-terrorism, ensuring trade security, anti-corruption and improving pparency, as well as controlling infectious and non communicable diseases.

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Hotspot five: implementation of industry development initiatives

This year's APEC conference will also discuss a series of initiatives related to industry development, including energy security, women's issues, human resources development, tourism development, support for small and medium enterprises, marine environmental protection and resource management, and information and communication technology development.

Among them, women's problems and human resources development are directly related to the inclusive growth of APEC's new economic growth strategy, and SMEs, as an important source of innovation and employment, are attracting more and more attention.

Hot spot six: strengthening economic and technological cooperation

If APEC is compared to a continuous "big car", then it should have two wheels: one is regional economic integration, the other is economic and technical cooperation among members.

The development level of APEC members is different. Promoting economic and technological cooperation among members will help to share advanced technology and development ideas. It is of great significance for accelerating regional economic integration, implementing new strategies for economic growth and enhancing human security.

Hotspot seven: strengthening the political, economic and academic interaction in the Asia Pacific Region

Since the establishment of APEC, apart from senior officials' meetings, ministerial conferences and leaders' meetings, a series of forum and dialogue mechanisms have been gradually developed to attract the participation of economic and academic circles, including the APEC Business Advisory Council meeting, SME summit and business leaders summit.

The accession of a large number of economic and Academic Elites makes the various views on the development of the Asia Pacific region collide and meet in the week of the APEC conference, many of which later became the consensus of the leaders' meeting.

This unique interactive mechanism of "politics, economics and learning" has made important contributions to the economic development and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.

Hot spot eight: strengthening APEC self construction

APEC established its Secretariat in 1993, and its headquarters in Singapore. In 2008, the APEC policy support department began to work and put forward many important suggestions on regional economic integration.

At present, APEC has launched a portal to integrate member economic data.

At this year's APEC meeting, the leaders will discuss how to further strengthen APEC's self building so as to better perform its duties and play a role.