Leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum on Saturday kicked off their two-day informal meeting in
Mexico, seeking to promote economic growth through economic and
technological cooperation.
The APEC meeting is being held against the backdrop of a deadly
terrorist attack on the Indonesian island of Bali, bombings in the
Philippines and a hostage-taking incident in Moscow earlier this
month.
The fight against terrorism has become a major topic of the
meeting. The leaders believe that a failure in the battle will do
harm to trade and impede economic growth.
"Terrorism, no matter where it occurs or what form it takes, is a
common threat to the whole mankind," Chinese President Jiang Zemin
told the meeting, adding that the international community must work
together to meet the challenges.
"If allowed to run amuck, that scourge will make peace and security
impossible, and economic development out of the question," Jiang
said.
When APEC leaders met in Shanghai last year just one month after
the September 11 attacks on the United States, they issued a joint
anti-terror statement. That meeting was "a good, solid beginning,"
Jiang said.
"China is a victim of terrorism," Jiang said. "We strongly condemn
and oppose terrorism in all forms and manifestations."
According to the Chinese president, China has agreed to join the
Container Security Initiative and welcomes such initiatives as the
"Secure Trade in the APEC Region." China "will continue to firmly
support and vigorously participate in the international
counter-terrorism cooperation."
Secure Trade in the APEC Region or STAR initiative, which the US
proposed on Thursday at the ministerial meeting, provides safety
measures for movement of goods and people in the region.
Jiang said APEC should strengthen cooperation in tightening port
and transport security, toughen measures against terrorist network
financing and crack down on Internet crimes, in a bid to create an
environment of peace and security for the economic development and
prosperity of APEC members.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said terrorism impeded
prosperity. But she noted that "...poverty feeds extremists. The
war against terrorism is going to be long, difficult and
borderless."
"If we neglect the economic imperative at this time when we are so
concerned with terrorism, we would be feeding terrorism by
promoting hunger, disease and ignorance," she said.
Referring to the bombing on October 12 on the island of Bali,
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri said: "We are the prime
victim of that act of terrorism."
"Clearly we must fight terrorism that might take place wherever,
whenever and by whomever," she said.
After the bombings killed more than 180 people in Bali, some
countries have restricted travels to the beautiful island. Megawati
urged the world community to lift the travel bans, which she said
would bring more damage to the life of the residents. "I hope that
such travel bans or limitations will soon be lifted."
The leaders' informal meeting, officially known as the 10th APEC
Economic Leaders' Meeting, follows meetings of ministers and senior
officials held earlier this week.
On
Thursday, a joint statement issued by the ministers strongly
condemned terrorism in all forms. The economic leaders are also
expected to make a statement on anti-terror cooperation on
Sunday.
China said it supported such a statement. "I support another
counter-terrorism statement by the current meeting to further
demonstrate our determined commitment to the war on terror," Jiang
told the meeting.
The leaders are also expected to issue a declaration on economic
growth and trade liberalization and facilitation.
How to move the global trade talks under the auspices of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) is another topic of the meeting. WTO
Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said APEC remained a "major
promoter" of the global trade program.
In
November 2001, the declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Conference
in Doha, Qatar, provides the mandate for negotiations on a range of
subjects, including issues concerning the implementation of
existing agreements.
APEC ministers have pledged to help complete the talks by January
2005, the deadline set in Doha.
APEC, set up in 1989, now groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,
China, Chinese Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and
Vietnam.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 26, 2002)