Chinese Vice Foreign Minister: APEC Shenzhen Meeting to Envision Roadmap for an Asia-Pacific Community

Beijing, May 19 (CNA) – Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu stated at the opening ceremony of the Second APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM2) in Shanghai on the 18th that China is actively preparing for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Shenzhen in November, envisioning a roadmap to realize the goal of an Asia-Pacific Community. China is the host of APEC this year. Following the meeting in Guangzhou earlier this year, SOM2 is being held in Shanghai from the 18th to the 19th. Ma stated that this senior officials' meeting is to prepare for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen in November. Ma mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out at last year's APEC meeting in Gyeongju that China will follow the great trend of the times and work with all parties to build an Asia-Pacific Community. China is actively preparing the outcomes of the leaders' meeting and will use the 'APEC Leaders' Shenzhen Declaration' as a platform to envision a roadmap for achieving the goal of an Asia-Pacific Community. It will focus on trade, connectivity, innovation, and development to create concrete results and build a cooperative framework for the collective action of APEC members. Ma said the framework includes actively exploring pathways to realize the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). China will promote the issuance of a cooperative document on FTAAP and looks forward to discussions on related issues at the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting to be held later in Suzhou. Ma added that the other three frameworks include enhancing APEC connectivity, cultivating new drivers of digital and intelligent growth, and promoting people's well-being through cooperation. Subsequently, ministerial meetings in various fields will be held, covering topics such as energy security, food resilience, SME development, human resources development, anti-corruption cooperation, youth exchange, health, and aging. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu / Chou Hui-ying) 1150519