Symposium on post-2020 APEC vision held in Sanya

The International Symposium on APEC Post 2020 Vision and Asia Pacific Regional Integration concluded in Sanya, Hainan province on Sept 20. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The International Symposium on APEC Post 2020 Vision and Asia Pacific Regional Integration concluded yesterday in Sanya, a tropical resort city in China's southernmost Hainan province, with a special focus on regional economic integration.

Jointly sponsored by the China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, Hainan China Golden Eagle Peace Development Foundation and Nankai University APEC Study Center, the two-day event attracted more than 60 officials, businessmen and scholars from the Asia-Pacific region, including Su Ge, chair of CNCPEC and co-chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council , Donald Campbell, co-chair of PECC and chair of Canada's PECC, Lu Mei, a senior Chinese APEC official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Eduardo Pedrosa, secretary-general of PECC.

Su said in his welcome speech at the opening ceremony APEC has now come to a new historical crossroad, not only because the Bogor Goals are due by 2020, but also because drastic changes are taking place in global and regional economic landscapes which call for a new agenda to keep the momentum for growth and cooperation.

APEC leaders adopted the Bogor Goals in Indonesia in 1994, which stipulate developed economies will liberalize and facilitate trade and investment by 2010, and developing economies by 2020.

How APEC should develop after 2020 and what kind of vision plan it should have are related to the direction of economic cooperation in the whole Asia-Pacific region, and are the focus of attention and discussion among member economies, according to participants at the meeting.

Participants at the International Symposium on APEC Post 2020 Vision and Asia Pacific Regional Integration, which concluded in Sanya, Hainan province on Sept 20. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Su said the post-2020 vision must be strategic, practical, inclusive and sustainable. It should be people-centered to ensure the prosperity and well-being of its citizens; uphold APEC's established core principles to achieve APEC's fundamental goal of promoting free and open trade and investment in the region; embark on a new round of globalization and future investment and trade issues and underpin a new agenda towards a more dynamic, innovative, sustainable, inclusive and resilient Asia-Pacific community.

Campbell, co-chair of PECC, stressed the need for PECC to work with stakeholders to contribute to APEC's forward-looking 2020 agenda, in the face of current difficulties in world trade and regional cooperation.

Dai Yuming, vice mayor of Sanya and Feng Chuanjian, chairman of CGE, said during the symposium Hainan is an important window and demonstration platform for the nation's in-depth reform and opening-up. Hosting the meeting with pointed specifications and strong professionalism will provide Sanya with a wider international perspective and help the city play a bigger role in the construction of the China (Hainan) pilot free trade port.

The delegates held in-depth discussions on new trends and the multilateral trading system in the Asia-Pacific region, APEC's role and the Bogor Goals, new roles and goals, new areas of focus and cooperation, consensus and recommendations.

A document on the achievements of the seminar will be submitted to the APEC, according to organizers.