China and Russia Oppose... APEC Joint Statement Adoption Fails

The joint statement adoption at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting held over two days from the 25th to 26th in Detroit, USA (local time) was blocked due to opposition from China and Russia.

Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), stated in the chair's statement, "All ministers attending the meeting agreed on the joint statement paragraphs 1-3 and 5-13," adding, "However, China and Russia opposed paragraph 4, which was excerpted from the statement at the APEC Leaders' Meeting on November 19, 2022."

The clause strongly condemns Russia's war in Ukraine and calls for Russia's withdrawal from Ukrainian territory.

Accordingly, the APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting concluded on the 26th with a chair's statement instead of a joint statement.

Representative Tai added, "We hope that a joint statement will be adopted at the APEC Leaders' Meeting." The next APEC Leaders' Meeting will be held in San Francisco this November.

Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
[Photo by Reuters]

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