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Exclusive: Progress on APEC regional economic integration

CCTV.com

08-16-2016 12:48 BJT

APEC Senior Officials' meeting has started in Peru's capital Lima, amid rising sentiment of trade protectionism and anti-globalization. China's APEC Senior Official Tan Jian says Beijing is an active promoter of free trade, and remains committed to economic integration among Asia Pacific economies. CCTV's Han Peng spoke to Tan ahead of the meeting.

Han: One of the most important results of APEC meeting in Beijing in 2014 was the official kick off the FTAAP, or Free Trade Area of Asia Pacific. Over the past two years, what progress has been made on regional economic integration?

"FTAAP is a big deal, because APEC membership accounts for 40 percent of the world population, 48 percent of trhw world trade and 56 percent of the world GDP. You may have known that in recent years, there is a proliferation of FTAs, so many FTAs. FTAs have ... making some strategic actions, recommendation for leaders, consideration," Tan said.

Han: The spirit of FTAAP is free trade, but over the past few years, there has been a rising sentiment of trade protectionism in some major APEC economies. We have seen Donald Trump saying the US will withdraw from WTO if he's elected as the President. China is not a hosting country of APEC meeting this year. How can it continue to be influential in pushing forward these deals?

"I think you are right, the trend of protectionism is on the rise. For example, this year 2016, the growth rate of trade will be below 3 percent, that is for ....... This year the trade ministers they assure the world that they remain committed to free and open trade , and affirm their commitment to extend until the end of 2020, is kind of commitment to rolling back protectionism and trade distorting measures, and also bilaterally i think we have adopted . the FTA agreement  with S. Korea Australia, we believe that those bilateral or regional agreements .. that role is WTO," Tan said.

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