By Aneri Upadhyay
Staff Writer
This year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week took place in San Francisco from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17. According to the APEC website, the theme was “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.” President Joe Biden spoke to many leaders and many decisions were made.
APEC is made up of 21 countries that consist of 40% of the world’s population, almost 50% of global trade and 60% of the United States’ exported goods. It was established in 1989 in order to manage and develop the Asia-Pacific. This week is focused on trade, investment and sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Biden is adamant for a Pacific trade pact, a goal that was stopped by his focus on workers’ rights. Biden spoke to CEOs at the summit and seemed confident in advancing the deal according to Reuters.
"Our work is not yet done," he said. "We will continue working to better facilitate high-standard trade that advances workers' rights through strong enforcement of labor standards."
As reported by Reuters, the United States would be in charge of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) initiative. This was meant to counter China’s growth by re-engaging in Asia’s economic world.
Biden also focused on bettering relations with China. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the APEC conference and Biden told him that the United States was “a Pacific region” that wants to remain actively engaged with China.
"A stable relationship between the world's two largest economies is not merely good for those two economies but for the world," said Biden. "It's good for everyone."
Biden successfully got China’s help to curb fentanyl entry into the United States, as stated by Reuters. Specifically, China agreed to go after specific companies which produced fentanyl precursors. In exchange, a Chinese public security forensic institute that was sanctioned for alleged abuse against Uyghurs was removed from the sanction list. However, some people are opposed to this agreement.
"This undermines the credibility of our entity list and our moral authority," said an unknown spokesperson for the House of Representatives select committee on China.
Xi affirmed that China coexisted with the United States and that China was ready to be both a “partner and friend” to the U.S.
After the summit, Xi was praised for his diplomatic relations during APEC. According to the New York Times, Ryan Hass, a former China director for the National Security Council, spoke on Xi’s statements.
“Xi practiced retail politics last night in ways that few Chinese leaders typically do,” said Hass. “There were several hard-edged points in the places you would expect them, but the overall tone of the speech seemed designed to try to lower the temperature of tension in the relationship.”
Biden also gave his thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war, according to AP News. After meeting with Xi, Biden urged Israel to be cautious while the military operates in Gaza.
Speaking on the war, Biden stated that, “I think it’s going to stop when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder.”
According to Biden, “the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution” where Palestine and Israel peacefully coexist.
The next few months will be crucial to see if the agreements discussed take place and the effect it has on diplomatic relations between the nations of the world. Overall, the APEC summit seems to be a success, with many leaders satisfied with the agreements made and hopeful for the future.
