Editorial | No time for divisions as Xi reaffirms faith in mission of Apec
- Amid a slow recovery from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, the Chinese president’s words to regional leaders offered hope and a path to the future
The founding more than three decades ago of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum reflected faith in the region’s future as a stable engine of global growth.
Never has that faith been more needed than now, amid slow recovery from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, including deep division over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The Apec economic leaders’ meeting, during the organisation’s annual summit last week, provided a platform for reaffirming it.
President Xi Jinping did so in a speech calling on the region to usher in another “30 golden years” of development, and outlining an inclusive formula for achieving it.
Xi called on Apec economies to expand free trade and innovation through open, green and inclusive development. He reminded his audience that Apec had always stood at the global forefront of openness and shared development.
That not only reflected confidence in its future, but also a belief that it should shoulder more responsibility for global growth.
