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What does China care about in the forthcoming APEC summit? |
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17:26, September 05, 2007 |
On September 8, the two-day, 15th APEC summit will be held in Sydney Australia. Chinese President, Hu Jintao, will attend the summit. This is the fifth time that he has been in attendance. What are the focal points of the summit? A People’s Daily reporter held a forum with experts and researchers including Yan Xuetong, director of the International Institute of Tsinghua University; Cai Penghong, research fellow of the Asia-Pacific Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences; Liu Qingjian, professor of the School of International Relations of the Renmin University of China; and Shen Jiru, research fellow of the World Economic Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Climate change and environment protection
Cai Penghong: Climate change and clean production will be important issues discussed during the APEC summit. This is imperative because the booming Asia-Pacific economy has led to the increase of energy consumption. Therefore, devotion to clean energy development will meet the increasing demand of energy; while reducing green house gas emissions and preventing air pollution. Thus, there will come about a new plan for APEC economic entities to collaborate on energy. The summit will be one of the most important international meetings on the climate issue since the Rio summit in 1992.
Shen Jiru: Climate change and environmental protection are key indicators for sustainable development worldwide, which is a common challenge facing all of mankind. To take on such a challenge, we must determine whether we can reduce green house gas emissions, save energy, and develop clean energy to replace fossil fuels. This summit has much to do with the APEC regions’ and international community’s realization of sustainable development. However, in the process of reducing CO2, developed countries should take more responsibility.
Liu Qingjian: The significance of making climate change and environmental protection top priorities is that this is in line with common human interest. It will alleviate the pressure on the US faces to reduce CO2; meet the interests and demands of Australia; and arrange a meeting between China and the US on the climate change issue, which will be of great significance for both sides.
APEC’s future: how to improve its coherence and competitiveness
Yan Xuetong: The reason that the APEC lacks efficiency is not because there are so many members; but because the cooperation mechanism lacks effective leadership. Rather than follow the principle of the minority follows the majority; the mechanism holds that all the members have an equal say and they must reach a consensus. Thus, it is even less effective than the UN. To improve its efficiency, it needs to establish a new leadership system and change the voting principle.
Cai Penghong: Another reason for its slow development is that the APEC has gone astray from its original purpose of economic cooperation, adding more weight to politics and security. The reform of the APEC could possibly unite the two sides of the Pacific Ocean so that it will be conducive to Asia-Pacific integration. However, it could also divide the two sides so that two free trade zones would form---the East Asia Free Trade Area and the Free Trade Areas of the Americas. Or, it will just become a stage for the head of states and presidents to conduct their diplomacy. It might also remain at the status quo.
Shen Jiru: The APEC has created a style of economic cooperation that is based on unilateral will. The shortcoming of this style is that whereas it is easy to begin it; it difficult to deepen this cooperation. It has taken the region ten years to strengthen economic and technical cooperation; narrow the economic development gap; and consolidate political trust among various economic entities and social classes. This task will continue.
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