Apec 2023: The Inside Scoop on Xi Jinping’s Call for Tech and Trade Unity

So, here’s the scoop on Apec 2023: China’s Xi Jinping just wrapped up the annual conference in San Francisco and boy, did he have a lot to say! He’s all about pushing for technology and free trade, and he made it clear that free trade should not be turned into a weapon or a political tool. Xi highlighted the importance of innovation in driving growth and development, and he stressed the need for an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological progress. He also called for countries to work together to safeguard free trade and maintain open and stable global industrial and supply chains. Xi made it crystal clear that any attempt to politicise, weaponise, or impose security implications on economic and trade issues should be a big no-no.

According to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry, Xi assured that China is not trying to replace anyone and is willing to share its development opportunities with the rest of the world. This visit to the United States was a big deal for Xi, and although some issues remained unresolved, he and US President Joe Biden did agree to resume military-to-military communications that Beijing cut off last year.

The members at the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting also made a joint declaration, reiterating their commitment to working together to deliver a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive, and predictable trade and investment environment. They emphasized the importance of the rules-based multilateral trading system in underpinning the region’s economic growth.

The 21-member grouping, which accounts for nearly half of global trade, also pledged to continue efforts to improve transparency and technical cooperation among the member economies, push for resilient, effective, sustainable, and open supply chains, and improve transport links.

While the group’s structure ensures that areas of agreement are largely technical and non-controversial, there were divisions evident in the release of a separate document authored by the United States. This document revealed that “most members” condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with less consensus on the Mideast. The ongoing crisis in Gaza was also a topic of discussion, with objections raised by some unnamed members to language on political issues in the full Apec declaration.

The summit between Xi and Biden, the largest members of Apec, was largely cordial, and they even agreed to work together on narcotics control and artificial intelligence. This reassured some participants at the conference, with regional chair Buck Gee noting that the important thing was that Xi made the decision to come to the summit, which is a positive signal. Vanessa Liu, a board director at machine learning company Appen and commercial property company the Goodman Group, called the summit “a step in the right direction to forge better relationships between the two countries” and emphasized the importance of having a forum for dialogue and cooperation. So, there you have it – a glimpse into the Apec 2023 conference and the efforts to foster better relationships and cooperation between China and the United States.