(VOVWORLD) -The 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting officially opened in Da Nang city on Saturday under the chair of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.
 President Tran Dai Quang (C) poses for a photo with other APEC economic leaders (Photo: Huong Tra/VOV5) |
APEC leaders at the event include Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping, Chief Executive of China’s Hong Kong Carrie Lam, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae In, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, Papua New Guinea PM Peter O’Neil, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, head of Chinese Taipei’s delegation James Soong, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, and US President Donald Trump.
After the opening session, the APEC leaders held closed sessions.
In his opening address, President Tran Dai Quang said that since the first APEC, which was held in the US in 1993 and focused on economic cooperation and removal of trade and investment barriers, APEC has proved his dynamism, and adaptability to be the region’s leading economic forum, a driver of economic growth and connectivity, and a leader in addressing global urgent challenges. The Bogor Goals on openness and trade liberalization, multilateralism, and growth connectivity have become a long-term direction for APEC, opening hundreds of fields for cooperation, including new generation of trade and investment, which have met the needs of the digital era.
President Quang noted that after the global economic, financial crisis a decade ago, the global economy is recovering and matching profound changes. He said:“The 4th industrial revolution has brought many biggest ever opportunities for development and renewal. Global deals, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is historically significant, outlining long-term direction for international cooperation for sustainable development. This context requires APEC to uphold its leading role in seeking new momentum for growth, trade, investment, connectivity as well as ways for the people to benefit equally from globalization and economic connectivity. Only by doing so, can we contribute to and build an Asia-Pacific of peace, stability, dynamism, connectivity, and prosperity.”
The APEC Year 2017 under the theme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering A Shared Future” reflects the APEC member economies’ common concern about seeking “new dynamism” for integration, connectivity and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific. It also shows APEC and Asia-Pacific’s long-term target of “fostering a shared future” which is peace, stability, development and prosperity.