MOSCOW: Thousands of Filipinos gathered in Manila on Thursday (Nov. 18) in protest of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) free-trade agenda, which protesters claim favors protection of large corporations over the rights of poor, working-class citizens.
US President Barack Obama arrived in Malaysia today on the final leg of a series of summits aimed at furthering Washington’s bid to rebalance ties towards Asia and challenge China’s increasingly assertive posture in the region. It is thought around 30,000 additional police and security forces were drafted into the city for the summit.
WORLD ECONOMY: “We met at a time when global growth is uneven and continues to fall short of expectation. We barely break even”, one of the protesters, 47-year-old rice farmer Nida Floresca, said. Floresca came with several neighbours from their farming town in La Union around 270 kilometres north of Manila.
Activists sets an APEC logo on fire to dramatize their indignation over the holding of the annual meeting in Manila as police in riot gear look on.
But despite the summit’s focus on unity, separate factions are emerging within APEC over the U.S.-led TPP free trade agreement.
“China has the resolve, confidence and ability to realize sustained and healthy economic development and bring more opportunities and benefits to the Asia-Pacific region”, Xi said.
Here’s an infographic on the agreements and commitments made on the sidelines of APEC with Philippines as country host.
Obama said he and Aquino discussed the impact that China’s land reclamation is having on regional stability.
Vietnam also signed a strategic partnership this week in Manila with the Philippines, deepening security ties partly in response to Chinese assertiveness in the sea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is seeking to reassure regional economic and political leaders that his government will keep the world’s No. 2 economy growing.
But officials in Beijing reacted with anger to Mr. Obama’s efforts to bolster USA allies, while insisting China’s construction work in the contested areas was “lawful, justified and reasonable”.
Aquino said freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea must be continuously ensured, consistent with worldwide law.
References to the territorial disputes were absent from the declaration but the issues were the major topic of nearly all the bilateral meetings held by the Philippines, the United States and Japan.
Also taking center stage at the APEC summit were last week’s Paris terror attacks and the members’ pledge to fight against terrorism.
“Under the shadow cast by the terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and against Russian aircraft over the Sinai, and elsewhere, we strongly condemn all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism in all their forms and manifestations”, the declaration read. “We have not finished our search yet, and APEC leaders will weigh in on the issues as we provide them with updates along the way”, Wang said.
At the end of the day, APEC leaders are striving to prove that the regional grouping is not just a talk shop but is actually a venue to produce concrete action on trade and other pressing issues.
