APEC Peru 2016 explained

Motto:"Quality Growth and Human Development"
(Spanish; Castilian: Crecimiento de Calidad y Desarrollo Humano)
Country:Peru
Date:19–20 November
Venues:Lima Convention Center, Lima
Follows:2015
Precedes:2017

APEC Peru 2016 (Spanish; Castilian: link=no|APEC Perú 2016) was the XXVIII year-long hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Peru, which was culminate with the XXIV APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 19–20 November 2016 in Lima. It marked the second time Peru played host to the APEC, previously hosting in 2008.

Agenda

Four priority areas were laid out as topics to be discussed for the 2016 APEC summit. These are Human Capital Development, Upgrading SMEs, Regional Food Market, and Regional Economic Integration Agenda. These subjects were chosen to build upon on the discussions from the previous APEC summit in the Philippines.[1]

Branding

On 29 January 2016, the Peruvian President Ollanta Humala said that the theme of the APEC Summit is "Quality Growth and Human Development".[2] The architecture of the ancient city of Caral serves as the inspiration for the official logo of the APEC summit.[3]

Preparations

On 6 September 2012, then Peruvian Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo announced that Peru will host the APEC Summit on 2016.[4]

The launch ceremony for APEC Peru 2016 was made at the Government Palace in Lima which was led by President Ollanta Humala.[5]

A temporary Multisectoral Working Group (High-Level Extraordinary Commission) was established to aid in the organization of events for the APEC Summit, chaired by Mercedes Aráoz.[6]

Events

Economic Leaders' Meeting

The Economic Leaders' Meeting was held from 19 to 20 November 2016[5] at the Lima Convention Center in Lima.[7]

Attendees

Prior to the Economic Leaders' Meeting, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha decided not to attend in the occasion citing their attendance to address their own domestic issues such as the North Korean nuclear program, as well the 2016 South Korean political scandal and the death and mourning of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, respectively.[8] Park was represented by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, while Chan-ocha was represented by his Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong.[9] Indonesian President Joko Widodo also did not attend the summit for the second time consecutively and was again replaced by Vice President Jusuf Kalla; the two had agreed that Widodo would only attend larger global scale conferences while Kalla would attend smaller regional scale conferences like APEC.[10]

This was the first APEC meeting for Vietnamese President Trần Đại Quang, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the host, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski since their inaugurations on 2 April 2016, 30 June 2016 and 28 July 2016, respectively.

It was also the last APEC meeting for United States President Barack Obama (who stepped down on 20 January 2017 following the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the inauguration of Donald Trump), as well as Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung (who stepped down on 1 July 2017 following the 2017 Hong Kong election) and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (who stepped down on 12 December 2016 following his resignation).

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was in attendance as invited guest. The Pacific Alliance member states: Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia will hold a separate summit with APEC leaders.

Sideline and bilateral meetings

Aside from the Economic Leaders' Meeting itself, some leaders met with each other in separate bilateral meetings within the week of the leaders' meet. The meeting's host, Peruvian President Pedro Kuczynski, also hosted state visits at the Government Palace for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.[21] [22]

Russian President Vladimir Putin had bilateral meetings with the leaders from China, Japan, Philippines, and Vietnam. He also held bilateral meeting with Kuczynski.[23] South Korean Prime Minister also held a bilateral meeting with Kuczynski.[24]

U.S. President Barack Obama held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping.[25]

On a sideline meeting about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP), President Barack Obama briefed leaders of signatory states of the partnership about the status of the treaty, and its support by the US Congress and businessmen. A consensus was reach among the signatory states that the TTP must be realized and will only look for an alternative if the United States later decides not to take part of it.[7] There were concerns over the fate of the treaty due to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump's opposition to the deal. It is reported that if either Japan or the United States back out the treaty won't push through. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key proposed making "cosmetic changes" to make the deal more acceptable to Trump.[26]

Notes and References

  1. News: APEC 2016: Peru outlines priorities ahead of Asia-Pacific summit. 25 May 2016. Andina. 30 January 2016.
  2. News: APEC Peru 2016 eyes quality growth, human development. 25 May 2016. Xinhua News Agency. Shanghai Daily. 30 January 2016.
  3. News: Peru's Caral architecture inspires APEC Peru 2016 logo. 25 May 2016. Andina. 3 February 2016.
  4. News: Perú será sede de Cumbre APEC en el 2016, anunció canciller. Peru will host the APEC Summit in 2016, announced by Foreign Minister. 25 May 2016. El Comercio. Empresa Editora El Comercio. 6 September 2012.
  5. News: President: Hosting APEC 2016 confirms Peruvian economy is strong (Full Story). 25 May 2016. Andina. 29 January 2016.
  6. News: Peru creates APEC Multisectoral Group. 25 May 2016. Andina. 29 January 2016.
  7. News: Leaders want TPP to become a reality, too premature to look at other options. 20 November 2016. Astro Awani Network Sdn. Bhd.. 20 November 2016.
  8. News: Park. Ju-min. South Korea's Park, rocked by scandal at home, to miss APEC summit. 15 November 2016. Reuters. 8 November 2016.
  9. News: Prajin to be at Apec summit in Peru for PM. 17 November 2016. Bangkok Post. 16 November 2016.
  10. News: Halim. Haeril. Kalla arrives in Peru to attend APEC trade summit. 20 November 2016. The Jakarta Post. 19 November 2016.
  11. News: Labor wants a better deal for workers in trade deals. 15 November 2016. The Australian Financial Review. 15 November 2016.
  12. Web site: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to travel to Cuba, Argentina, and Peru. Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. 15 November 2016. 8 November 2016.
  13. Web site: Xi Jinping to Pay State Visits to Ecuador, Peru and Chile and Attend the 24th APEC Economic Leaders' Summit in Lima. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 15 November 2016. 9 November 2016.
  14. News: Abe to meet Colombian president on APEC sidelines in Peru: source. 15 November 2016. Kyodo News. The Japan Times. 15 November 2016.
  15. News: S. Korea's PM to attend APEC gathering in place of president. Yonhap News. 17 November 2016.
  16. News: Abdullah. Zuraimi. Rasid. Amir Hisyam. Apec meet to focus on services trade. 15 November 2016. New Straits Times. 14 November 2016.
  17. News: Prime Minister John Key cancels trip to Argentina following earthquake. 15 November 2016. The New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2016.
  18. News: Ramos. Marlon. Duterte flies to Lima, Peru this week. 15 November 2016. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 14 November 2016.
  19. Web site: Soong to represent president at APEC leaders' summit - Taipei Times. 6 October 2016.
  20. News: Barack Obama confirmó asistencia a cumbre de mandatarios de la APEC en Lima. 25 May 2016. Peru21. 2 February 2016. es. Barack Obama confirms attendance at the APEC Leader's Summit in Lima. 11 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161111162824/http://peru21.pe/economia/barack-obama-confirma-asistencia-cumbre-mandatarios-apec-2238106. dead.
  21. News: Japan Leader to pay official visit to Peru. 20 November 2016. Andina. 18 November 2016.
  22. News: Chinese president arrives in Peru for APEC meeting, state visit. https://web.archive.org/web/20161120143129/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-11/19/c_135842265.htm. dead. 20 November 2016. 20 November 2016. Xinhua News Agency. 19 November 2016.
  23. News: Putin participates in several meeting at APEC summit in Peru. 20 November 2016. Vestnik Kavkaza. 20 November 2016. 20 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161120213824/http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/Putin-participates-in-several-meeting-at-APEC-summit-in-Peru.html. dead.
  24. News: Korea, Peru push for stronger business ties at APEC meeting. https://web.archive.org/web/20161121042109/http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/phone/news/view.jsp?req_newsidx=218551. dead. 21 November 2016. 20 November 2016. Yonhap. The Korea Times. 20 November 2016.
  25. News: Beatty. Andrew. Xi says US-China ties at 'hinge moment'. 20 November 2016. Agence France-Presse. ABS-CBN News. 20 November 2016.
  26. News: Press. Jordan. Trump, future of Pacific trade pact on agenda for Trudeau, Obama at APEC summit in Peru. 20 November 2016. The Canadian Press. The Star. 19 November 2016.