The State Department announced that a strategic vision for regional cooperation for next year will be established through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held this week in the United States. The North Korean issue is also expected to be a major topic of discussion at the U.S.-China summit held on the sidelines of APEC. Reporter Cho Eun-jeong reports.
The U.S. State Department announced on the 13th that President Joe Biden will emphasize the long-standing economic relationship with the Asia-Pacific region and the role of the United States at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ‘Economic Leaders Week’.
The State Department announced in a press release today that the APEC meeting, which opened in San Francisco, USA on the 11th, will continue until the 17th.
[국무부 보도자료] “During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW), President Joseph R. Biden will welcome APEC economic leaders to highlight the strength and resilience of the U.S. economy, our longstanding economic ties with the Asia-Pacific, the surge of job-creating investments from APEC economies into the United States in recent years, and the role of the U.S. economy in driving growth and innovation in the Asia-Pacific and globally.”
The State Department said, “President Biden welcomes APEC economic leaders to APEC ‘Economic Leaders Week’ and highlights the strength and resilience of the U.S. economy, our long-standing economic relationship with the Asia-Pacific region, and the jobs that have flowed to the United States from APEC economies in recent years.” “We will highlight the surge in investment and the role of the U.S. economy in driving growth and innovation in Asia Pacific and around the world.”
Matthew Murray, senior APEC official at the State Department, said in a telephone briefing on the 13th that the United States’ hosting of the APEC meeting shows the United States’ commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.
[녹취: 머리 담당관] “Importantly, APEC Economic Leaders’ Week is just the most recent example of our engagement with the region. Even in the face of unprecedented challenges around the globe, our commitment to this agenda and our partners in the Asia Pacific region has never been clearer.”
“APEC Economic Leaders’ Week is the most recent example of America’s engagement with the Asia-Pacific region,” said Murray. “As the world faces unprecedented challenges, our commitment to our partners in the Asia-Pacific region has never been greater.” “Everything is clear,” he emphasized.
At the same time, he recalled the recent visits of Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea.
When asked whether it would be possible to adopt a joint statement due to differences of opinion among member countries on the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas, Murray said that efforts were being made to issue a statement.
[녹취: 머리 담당관] “We’re certainly working towards having a strong consensus statement in APEC for the leaders to be able to release at the end of the week.”
“We are working to produce a strong APEC consensus statement that the leaders can present this weekend,” Murray said.
He said that there had been a lot of friction related to the statement over the past few years, mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine dispute, and that although it was a difficult issue to deal with in APEC, they were able to announce a summit declaration at the APEC meeting held in Thailand last year and are aiming to announce it again this year. .
APEC’s ‘Economic Leaders Week’ began on the 11th with the final Senior Management Meeting (CSOM), attended by senior officials from 21 member countries. The final senior management meeting is an opportunity for officials from each country to review the agenda for the summit that has been prepared so far.
The Treasury Ministers’ Meeting was held on the 12th and 13th, chaired by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and the APEC Ministerial Meeting was held on the 14th and 15th, chaired by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Catherine Tai.
From the 14th to the 16th, the CEO Summit will be held with the participation of heads of companies from around the world, and in particular, Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech.
In particular, President Biden is scheduled to personally preside over the ‘APEC Economic Leaders Meeting’ for two days on the 16th and 17th.
Murray, a senior APEC official at the State Department, explained that the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting chaired by President Biden “will establish a strategic vision for regional cooperation next year.”
Additionally, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) summit will be held on the 16th, with the participation of leaders from 14 countries, including the United States, Korea, Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Bali, Indonesia, where the summit of 20 major countries was held in November last year.
US-China summit: “Important discussion of North Korea issue”
With the leaders of most APEC member countries participating in this meeting, there is great interest in a separate meeting between the leaders.
On the 15th, President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a face-to-face summit.
In a press briefing on the 10th, a senior U.S. government official observed that drug-related concerns such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, climate change, and the smuggling of Chinese fentanyl raw materials will be the main agenda items at the U.S.-China summit.
In addition, it was made clear that issues on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea, would be addressed as one of the main agenda items.
[미 정부 고위 당국자] “We’ve watched with some concern of the burgeoning relationship of late between North Korea and Russia the provision of military equipment directly there continuing provocations of North Korea’s. I think we intend to underscore our continuing concerns around those provocations to China who continues to be a substantial patron of North Korea. We will also reiterate our readiness to conduct diplomacy with North Korea and our determination to take steps to deter provocations and to seek the full denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”
A high-ranking U.S. government official mentioned North Korea, saying that regional disputes involving the common interests of the U.S. and China should be discussed.
He continued, “We are watching with concern the recent rapidly developing relationship between North Korea and Russia, the direct provision of military equipment, and North Korea’s continued provocations.”
“We will emphasize to China, which continues to serve as North Korea’s de facto backer, our continued concern about these provocations,” he said.
He added, “We will also reiterate our readiness to engage in diplomacy with North Korea and our determination to take steps to curb provocations and pursue complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
Japanese media reported that President Xi Jinping may meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 16th, the day after meeting with President Biden.
It is known that Korea is also discussing holding a summit with China.
A diplomatic source in Beijing told Korean media that the schedule and agenda were being discussed, adding, “Once the summit is held, bilateral relations between South Korea and China will progress.”
However, a high-ranking official of the South Korean President’s Office told Korean media on the 12th, “Korea is also discussing several summits, but at this point, it is not at a stage where it can be said to be holding a summit with any country.”
Additionally, the President’s Office announced that President Yoon Seok-yeol and Prime Minister Kishida will visit Stanford University in San Francisco on the 16th to participate in a roundtable discussion on advanced technology cooperation between Korea and Japan and the United States and Japan.
This is Cho Eun-jeong of VOA News.
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2023-11-13 21:58:06
