Mainland China wins APEC support for free trade 'roadmap'中國內地贏得了自由貿易“路線圖”APEC支持

Top leaders and ministers of the 21-member APEC group meet at the APEC Summit plenary session at the International Convention Center in Yanqi Lake on Tuesday. (AP/CNA)

He called it a “historic” step reflecting the “confidence and commitment of APEC members to promote the integration of the regional economy,” symbolizing “the official launch of the process towards the FTAAP.”

The FTAAP would build on other initiatives including the smaller U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but China's firm advocacy of the plan over TPP has added to Sino-U.S. trade rivalry.

Besides accounting for more than 50 percent of global gross domestic product, 21-member APEC also makes up nearly half of world trade and 40 percent of the Earth's population.

'We need each other'

Obama, Xi and Abe respectively lead the world's three biggest economies, while Russia is a powerful player in energy exports whose annexation of Crimea and support for Ukrainian rebels has sent relations with the United States into a tailspin, with the West imposing sanctions on Moscow.

But Obama held talks of about 15-20 minutes with Putin, according to the White House, with their conversations covering Iran, Syria and Ukraine.

The Russian leader also held a bilateral with Abbott, who has publicly declared his fury at the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people including 38 Australian citizens and residents.

Abbott's office underlined that evidence suggested a Russian-supplied missile from a launcher that was then returned to Russian territory was responsible, labeling it “a very serious matter.”

For its part China is embroiled in territorial and historical disputes with Japan, but Abe stressed cooperation with Beijing after the summit, calling for the neighbors to press ahead with tentative efforts to put their deep hostility behind them after he met Xi.

“Japan and China, we need each other. We are in a way inseparably bound with each other,” Abe told reporters. “Japan and China both have responsibility for peace and prosperity of the region and of the world.”

Pacific Rivalry

Some Chinese analysts and state media have framed the TPP as an attempt to check Beijing's growing economic clout — allegations Washington dismisses.Washington has been pushing the TPP, which aims for a loosening of trade restrictions and embraces 11 other Pacific Rim countries including Japan, Canada, Australia and Mexico, while notably excluding China.

At the meeting Obama himself praised China for focusing attention on APEC's role in eventually achieving the FTAAP, first proposed in 2006, but also reiterated the U.S. priority was the smaller TPP.

“The many regional initiatives will contribute to the eventual realization,” he said. “We see our engagement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership as a contribution towards that effort.”

Xi hosted Obama for a private dinner Tuesday at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing, the two men walking through the grounds beforehand, and were to meet again on Wednesday.

China's increasing economic and military prominence has lead to tensions with Washington, including over rival allegations of cyber-spying.

But both sides say they want to manage their relationship to avoid clashes in the past that have occurred between rising and established powers.

In a sign that they can work together, the White House announced Tuesday that they had “reached an understanding” on an agreement to reduce tariffs on information technology trade.

Obama also announced in Beijing the two governments had reached a reciprocal agreement to extend visa validity periods to as long as a decade.

But Xi unmistakably underscored China's intention to enhance its world influence by laying out his vision of a Chinese-driven “Asia-Pacific dream” in a speech on Sunday to APEC business leaders.

Meanwhile Obama has stressed U.S. leadership, calling his country a “thoroughly Pacific nation.”

中國內地贏得了自由貿易“路線圖”APEC支持

凱利·奧爾森，法新社
2014年11月12日，上午12時04 TWN

北京 - 在週二的亞太峰會上批准在該地區走向廣闊的自由貿易區北京支持的路線，主機習近平說，稱這是一個“歷史性”的一步。

同時，在亞太經合組織（APEC）會議上看到了小雪的外交活動，與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京 - 經常被西方批評 - 他會見美國總統奧巴馬，並單獨澳大利亞總理艾伯特。

此前一天璽會見了日本首相安倍晉三，在首次正式領導人會議的亞洲鄰國，誰擁有的往往很難之間的關係，近三年。

中國一直渴望在峰會期間強調其上升的貿易和外交影響力，在湖邊的場地以北的中國資本，習近平表示，集團已“認可的路線圖，APEC為促進和實現亞太自由貿易地區太平洋“。

他稱這是一個“歷史性”一步體現了“APEC成員的信心和決心，推動區域經濟一體化，”象徵“的正式啟動對亞太自由貿易區的進程。”

在亞太自由貿易區的建立對其他舉措，包括更小的美國支持的跨太平洋夥伴關係（TPP），但中國的公司計劃在倡導TPP增加了中美貿易的競爭。

除了佔全球國內生產總值（GDP）的50％以上，21個APEC成員也彌補了近一半的世界貿易，40％的地球人口。

“我們需要彼此

奧巴馬，習近平和安倍晉三分別引領世界三大經濟體，而俄羅斯是一個強大的球員在能源出口的克里米亞的吞併和支持烏反政府武裝已派出關係，與美國推向深淵，與西方對莫斯科進行制裁。

但奧巴馬舉行了與普京約15-20分鐘的會談，據白宮，與包括伊朗，敘利亞和烏克蘭的談話。

這位俄羅斯領導人還與雅培，誰曾公開宣稱他的憤怒，在馬來西亞航空公司的航班MH17過烏克蘭東部被擊落，造成298人，其中包括38澳洲公民和居民雙邊。

雅培的​​辦公室強調，有證據顯示俄羅斯提供導彈從發射，然後返回到俄羅斯境內，這是負責任的，標註​​為“非常嚴重的事情。”

就其本身而言中國捲入了與日本的領土和歷史糾紛，但安倍強調，峰會後與北京的合作，呼籲鄰居用試探性的努力，把自己深深的敵意在他們身後，他會見了習後向前發展。

“日本和中國，我們彼此需要。我們正處在一個方式密不可分對方，“安倍晉三對記者說。“日本和中國都對世界和平的地區和繁榮的責任。”

太平洋之爭

華盛頓一直力推TPP，其目的是對貿易的限制鬆動和擁抱等11個太平洋沿岸國家，包括日本，加拿大，澳大利亞和墨西哥，而尤其是中國除外。

一些中國分析人士和官方媒體誣陷TPP作為以杜絕北京日益增長的經濟影響力 - 華盛頓指控駁回。

在這次會議上，奧巴馬本人稱讚中國把注意力集中在亞太經濟合作組織的作用，最終實現亞太自由貿易區，首先在2006年提出，但也重申了美國的首要任務是較小的TPP。

“在很多區域倡議將有助於最終實現，”他說。“我們看到了我們在跨太平洋夥伴關係參與為實現這一努力做出貢獻。”

熙主持奧巴馬的私人晚宴星期二在北京中南海領導層複合，兩人穿過庭園散步事前，並且是再次見面週三。

中國日益增長的經濟和軍事突出導致了緊張局勢與美國，包括在網絡間諜的指控對手。

但雙方都表示，他們要管理他們的關係，避免了之間的上升和建立權力發生，在過去的衝突。

在一個標誌，他們可以一起工作，白宮週二宣布了一項協議，他們已經“達成諒解”，以減少對信息技術的貿易關稅。

奧巴馬還宣布，在北京，兩國政府已經達成了互惠協議，簽證有效期延長至長達十年之久。

不過，奚明白無誤地強調中國的意圖，以提高其全球影響力奠定了他在一次講話是中國主導“亞太夢想”的願景上週日APEC企業領袖。

同時，奧巴馬強調美國的領導，稱自己的國家是“徹底的太平洋國家。”