Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Nov. 18 address to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) summit in Bangkok was entitled, “Shouldering Responsibility and Working Together in Solidarity To Build an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future.” The full text of his remarks were posted to the Foreign Ministry website. (https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202211/t20221118_10977565.html )
China Daily yesterday paraphrased Xi’s remarks, writing that, although there had been “challenges such as the pandemic, rising unilateralism and protectionism, and disruptions over global industrial and supply chains, the region should stay committed to openness and inclusiveness and bring about prosperity for all, and steadily advance regional economic integration for the early realization of a high-standard Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.”
Both the Thai and Seoul representatives responded positively to Xi’s remarks. Kim Heungchong, president of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, praised Xi’s ideas about regional development, saying that his ideas are crucial for building up APEC’s less developed regions. “‘More advanced countries including the Republic of Korea will join in accelerating regional development in the APEC region,’ said Kim, noting that Xi’s promotion of openness and inclusiveness for Asia-Pacific economic cooperation can also contribute to strengthening the R.O.K.’s policy initiatives.”
Korn Dabbaransi, former Thai deputy prime minister and chairman of the Thai-Chinese Friendship Association, stated that he thought that Xi conveyed China’s intention to promote the expansion of sincere and tangible cooperation among the APEC members. Korn praised China as a model for poverty eradication, saying that the Belt and Road Initiative will “reach out to the rest of the world with a belt of peace and road to prosperity.”
China Daily summarized Korn remarks that Thailand is a developing country with an extraordinary relationship with China, and the joint programs between the two countries can be replicated and applied in other developing economies.
In his speech, Xi listed four proposals, the last one, concluding: “We should bear in mind our shared future and make the Asia-Pacific a region where all are ready to help each other…. We need to act on the purposes and principles of APEC, and continually deepen the Asia-Pacific partnership featuring mutual trust, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation. We need to follow the spirit of our Asia-Pacific family, look after one another like passengers in the same boat, and steadily move toward an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.” (https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202211/19/WS637817d5a31049175432aaad.html )
