APEC 2017: Philippines calls for regional comprehensive integration

Speaking at the APEC CEO Summit 2017 held in the central city of Da Nang on November 9, the Philippine President said that member economies reaffirmed their belief that the free trade area in the Asia-Pacific region should be defined by a free trade agreement based on existing commitments in the region at the APEC 2015 hosted by the Philippines. 

At this year meeting, Duterte called on the 21 APEC member economies to continue advocating stronger and deeper regional economic integration by facilitating liberalisation of trade and investment.

According to the President, diversity will always pull each member in directions, but regional integration based on open and free trade policies will help them optimise opportunities to access global trends, including cross-border capital flow and digital development. 

Like other cooperation mechanisms, APEC is a solid foundation to promote further integration, bolstering investment and human connection of the world’s economic areas. 

A stable, connected and integrated infrastructure system should be viewed as the “backbone” for joint progress, he added, urging the APEC business community to continue promoting people-to-people connectivity as a critical growth and development strategy.

The CEO summit is the largest annual event of the business community in the Asia-Pacific region. It is part of the ongoing APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang, which brings together heads of state and some 10,000 delegates from 21 APEC member economies.