The pandemic and climate change will focus Asia-Pacific leaders forum

The measures for post-pandemic recovery and against climate change will focus the summit of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) that is held tomorrow (Friday) in a virtual way with the rivalry of Beijing and Washington in the background.

With New Zealand as host, the participation of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as well as the leaders of 17 other countries such as Russia, India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Mexico, Peru and Chile.

The rivalry between China and the United States, which in recent years have increased their trade and geopolitical disputes, has been noted during the previous meetings held in recent days at the forum, which is held telematically for the second consecutive year by COVID -19.

In a virtual meeting with businessmen in the framework of APEC, the Chinese president said that the Asia-Pacific region should not reignite the tensions of the Cold War, warning that attempts to “form small geopolitical circlesThey are destined to fail.

The comments of Xi They occurred amid geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, as well as the announcement last September of the AUKUS defense pact between Washington, Canberra and London to stand up to the Asian giant in the Indo-Pacific region.

Biden He has not yet had the opportunity to respond to him in the forum, but the Australian president, Scott Morrison, did warn this Thursday against the concentration of production and supply of critical metals and rare earths, fundamental for the technology industry, alluding to China, that dominates the supply channels.

Another controversial issue is the celebration of APEC in 2023, as the United States has offered to host it, but there is still no consensus in countries such as Russia and China for it to take place on American soil.

Advances in previous meetings

Despite these tensions, the forum’s foreign and trade ministers have advanced in previous meetings the negotiations on reducing the use of fossil fuels and other measures against the climate crisis, as well as facilitating the export of vaccines against COVID-19.

“Seventeen APEC economies have reduced or completely eliminated tariffs on vaccines and related products to make them easier to access”Said New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor after the forum’s ministerial meeting held on November 8 and 9.

At the preparatory meeting for the virtual summit of APEC leaders, to be held around midnight between 12 and 13 November in New Zealand (GMT + 13), the ministers also pledged in their joint statement to accelerate the recovery. post-pandemic sustainable economy, to promote the digitization of the economy and to strengthen free trade.

The APEC, founded in 1989, represents 60% of world GDP and more than half of global trade, with a market of about 2.85 billion consumers – 40% of the world population – and aims to establish a zone of free trade between the 21 member economies.