China calls for stronger engagement towards FTAAP
Opening the Second APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Shanghai on Tuesday, China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said trade, connectivity, innovation, and development are mutually reinforcing pillars to advance discussions across these areas ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting later this year.
He added China is working toward outcomes on FTAAP as well as trade digitization, cooperation in the service sector, and the list of environmental goods. He also expressed hope for deeper discussions ahead of the ministers responsible for trade meeting in Suzhou later this week.
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Ma emphasized connectivity as another foundation for economic integration in the region, calling on economies to work toward an upgraded APEC Connectivity Blueprint to support more interconnected development across the Asia Pacific.
“We are also advancing initiatives in areas, such as smart customs, smart transportation, tourism facilitation, and the APEC Business Travel Card to further strengthen physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity across the region,” he said as quoted by APEC official website in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Artificial intelligence and digital transformation featured prominently during the meeting as economies explored how emerging technologies are reshaping industries, trade, and labor markets.
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Ma added the extensive application of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies innovation is playing an even more prominent role in driving economic growth.
“We should build on existing cooperation and develop a roadmap for innovation-driven growth through artificial intelligence and the digital economy,” he said.
He also stressed that APEC cooperation must continue delivering tangible benefits for people across the region through practical cooperation and expected several deliverables in areas, including energy security, food resilience, small and medium-sized enterprises, health, ageing, anti-corruption, and human resources development.
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