APEC brings together 21 economies from the Pacific region – the equivalent of about 60% of the world’s GDP.
On the occasion of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the APEC and ASEAN Informal Dialogue, themed “Partnering for New Dynamism for a Comprehensively Connected and Integrated Asia-Pacific”, was held for the first time on November 10 in the central city of Da Nang.
The Dialogue was chaired by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Chair of the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with the participation of the APEC and ASEAN Leaders.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have shaken hands at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam.
“We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore,” Trump said in a speech at the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “I am always going to put America first, the same way I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first.”
In contrast to President Trump, the Chinese leader defended multilateral trade deals, which he said helped poorer nations to benefit.Mr Trump said the neglect of WTO rules “hurt many people” in the US and said the country would not “be taken advantage of anymore”.
The Dialogue bears special significance as APEC will soon enter its fourth decade in less than two years and is preparing for a post-2020 vision while ASEAN is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and redoubling efforts to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
