Leaders upbeat on APEC's future<\/p>\n
MANILA (JP): APEC leaders said they were satisfied with the
\noutcome of their summit yesterday, with Indonesia and China
\nstressing economic cooperation programs to address the disparity
\nbetween rich and poorer members.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto is satisfied,\" Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono said on board his flight home to Jakarta. His remarks
\nwere broadcast on TVRI last night.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said that at the meeting in Subic, the President
\nstressed partnership was the best way to address the disparity
\nbetween the advanced economies and the developing ones.<\/p>\n
\"Through partnership, the advanced economies ought to give the
\nless advanced economies an opportunity to catch up,\" Moerdiono
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soeharto stressed that private businesses must be involved in
\nvarious APEC processes, and that small and medium enterprises be
\ngiven a fair go, the minister said.<\/p>\n
Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, speaking on behalf of
\nPresident Jiang Zemin, said in Manila that APEC's economic and
\ntechnical cooperation program was sorely lagging behind the pace
\nof trade and liberalization measures.<\/p>\n
He said it took APEC eight years to establish a framework to
\nboost development cooperation among members.<\/p>\n
\"Because of the differences in the levels of development in
\nthe member economies, it is very difficult for liberalization in
\nthe field to be pushed forward in accordance with a timetable,\"
\nXinhua news agency quoted Jian as saying.<\/p>\n
U.S. President Bill Clinton secured APEC leaders support,
\nalbeit a qualified one, for his call to substantially cut tariffs
\non an annual US$500 billion global trade in computers, memory
\nchips and telecommunications equipment.<\/p>\n
Clinton described the support as a \"big deal\" that would boost
\nU.S. exports and create better jobs, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
\"Every year we sell $100 billion in information technology and
\nthat sector supports almost two million jobs in the United
\nStates,\" Clinton said after the one-day summit.<\/p>\n
\"So imagine if we went to zero tariffs in the entire world.
\nThat would mean to America more exports and higher paying jobs,\"
\nhe told U.S. embassy employees.<\/p>\n
U.S. Trade Representative spokesman Jay Ziegler said:
\n\"Substantially eliminate is tradespeak for zero.\"<\/p>\n
Taiwan's representative to the leaders meeting, Koo Chen-Fu,
\nsaid he was both \"satisfied and a little unsatisfied.\"<\/p>\n
\"We did not totally fulfill the spirit of community,\" he said
\non the meeting's atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Koo said the forum should have involved more business
\nparticipation because APEC had reached a stage of \"action\" in
\nwhich businesses could play a major role.<\/p>\n
This year's meeting should have stressed how each APEC member
\ncould prepare itself for next year when members start carrying
\nout their individual action plans.<\/p>\n
Koo said he was \"very impressed\" with the hospitality and
\nwarmth displayed by host President Ramos.<\/p>\n
There appeared to be an agreement among the APEC leaders to
\nallow new entrants into the forum earlier than originally
\nplanned.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the leaders
\nagreed to admit Vietnam and Peru as early as 1998, when Malaysia
\nhosts the APEC meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Everyone is agreed that Vietnam and Peru should be admitted
\nas soon as possible,\" Mahathir told a news conference after the
\nsummit.<\/p>\n
Mahathir said the leaders wanted \"to keep a cosy membership\"
\nby limiting membership in an informal way. \"If APEC is to be
\neffective the membership should not be too large as to be
\nunwieldy.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told
\nreporters on the flight back to Jakarta that the leaders agreed
\nto speed up the admission process from three years to two years.<\/p>\n
\"This is something the Indonesian delegation has been fighting
\nfor,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He did not name any particular countries but said some new
\nmembers would be admitted by 1998.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been pushing for the membership of Vietnam,
\nwhich this year formally joined the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n
Qian said China would support the admission of Russia into
\nAPEC.<\/p>\n
On the leaders' conclusion for an information technology
\nagreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Qian said China
\nhad given its views at yesterday's meeting, although it was not a
\nmember of the WTO.<\/p>\n
\"It is understandable that measures can be taken to develop
\nthe sector... but it should be negotiated whether the target date
\nshould be 2000, whether tariffs should be brought down to zero
\nand whether it should cover such a wide range of products,\" Qian
\nsaid. (pwn\/mds\/emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaders-upbeat-on-apecs-future-1447893297",
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