中国太平洋经济合作全国委员会官网

From September 18 to 20, 2018, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (CNCPEC), co-sponsored by Hainan China Golden Eagle Peace Development Foundation (CGE), and APEC Study Center of Nankai University, organized an International Symposium on “APEC Post 2020 Vision and Asia Pacific Regional Integration”, which was intended to provide intellectual input to the ongoing process of shaping an APEC Post 2020 Vision for regional economic cooperation after the target year of Bogor Goals.  Over 40 leading experts on APEC issues from regional institutions attended the symposium. The following represents a summary of the key discussion points and suggestions on the Post 2020 Vision.

I.        The emerging new trends and pressing challenges in global and regional economic landscape require APEC to take the lead to reinvigorate the multilateral trading system (MTS) and set a new agenda for an era of inclusive and sustainable development.  The participants underscored APEC’s significant historical role as exemplified by the overall positive impact of Bogor Goals, which has laid a solid foundation for APEC to build consensus and set a new agenda of post 2020 cooperation. As such, it is necessary for APEC to reaffirm its support to the rules-based MTS, fight protectionism and champion trade liberalization and facilitation, set global rules on vital new issues not yet covered by GATT disciplines, and build a mutually reinforcing link between the regional trade arrangements (RTAs) and the MTS.

II.       Before formulating a Post 2020 Vision, APEC needs to re-define its goals and role in the new era, and accordingly refine and articulate the guiding principles of regional cooperation in the decades to come.

1.   In the post 2020 era, APEC should significantly enrich and broaden its goal by shifting from a purely pro-trade agenda to a more comprehensive pursuit of sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development building an Asia-Pacific community of shared future. To that end, APEC could play a leading role in a number of fronts such as:

·       develop and strengthen the open multilateral trading system in the interest of Asia-Pacific and all other economies;

·       develop a new set of shared objectives for the region, exploring new drivers of sustainable growth, including but not limited to promoting structural reform and macro-economic policies coordination.

2.   The symposium made a number of suggestions on the guiding principles of Post 2020 Vision:

a) the Vision should be ambitious, strategic and practical, well-balanced between continuity, innovation and foresight, taking stock of past achievements while focusing on its comparative strengths；

b) it should uphold APEC’s established core principles:  voluntarism, consensus, flexibility and gradualism, and the partnership for Asia-Pacific community；

c) it should adhere to the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, guard against protectionism, and promote open regionalism；

d) it should be people-centered, aiming for the common prosperity and well-being of its citizens;

e) it should keep pace with the times and enhance the institutional effectiveness of APEC cooperation. 

III.      The participants have endeavored to seek common denominators and identify a list of key areas of cooperation.

1.    Regional economic integration (REI) and Free Trade Area of Asia Pacific (FTAAP) are generally agreed as the top priority of post 2020 agenda, which is not only the “unfinished business” left by Bogor Goals, but also the primary goal and long-standing mission of APEC.  APEC should stick to its set agenda and expedite the process of building an open and inclusive FTAAP dedicated to win-win cooperation and equal participation by all parties. 

2.    Connectivity has been an important agenda for APEC to advance regional economic integration, improve the quality of economic growth, and achieve inclusive and sustainable development. APEC should actively implement APEC Connectivity Blueprint so as to further unleash growth potential of the region.

3.    Digital economy is a critical driving force for world economic growth and has been a crucial facilitator of APEC’s objectives of regional economic integration, innovative and inclusive growth, and connectivity. APEC should implement APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap, explore new business models driven by digital technology, and strengthen digital capacity and infrastructure building. Some participants have put forward innovative concept initiatives such as “APEC Cyberization 2030 based on singularity economy”, “an APEC Digital Economy Area in recognition of SDG 2030”, and “a platform for global digital economy governance”, etc.

4.    Inclusive and sustainable development is the future direction of regional cooperation which can best converge divergent interests, deter the anti-globalization sentiments and generate shared motivation for regional cooperation. APEC should draw on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and effectively implement APEC Accord on Promoting Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth by strengthening cooperation in fields like structural reform and innovation, poverty alleviation, education and training, capacity building, food and energy security, and environment and climate change to create favorable conditions for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth for the Asia-Pacific.

IV.  The participants made some valuable recommendations for the implementation mechanism of the APEC Post 2020 Vision.

1.   APEC could make full use of its traditional institutional advantage of its openness to stakeholder engagement, and further strengthen the pillar of economic and technical cooperation and capacity building to facilitate the timely implementation of the vision.

2.   Adhering to its voluntary and non-binding principles, APEC needs to set a feasible, practical, measurable and implementable agenda which can stimulate member economies’ self-determined initiatives to implement the Vision.

3.   Under a clear vision and a practical agenda, APEC might need to promote some selected projects for “early harvest” so as to boost confidence in regional cooperation.