U.S. Actions at the APEC Summit -- Day One
APEC Leaders agree to re-energize Doha negotiations
The 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies have agreed to re-energize World Trade
Organization (WTO) negotiations by working off a proposed text developed at the failed Cancun ministers' meeting in
September, a White House fact sheet says.
That amounts to a reversal for a number of the APEC members -- China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand -- who
formed a group at the Cancun meeting with some other developing countries opposed to using the proposed text as a basis
for negotiation. They especially wanted to substitute their own proposed language on agriculture.
The proposed Cancun text was assembled by Mexico's Luis Ernesto Derbez, chairman of the meeting, by synthesizing the
work of five facilitators he appointed at the meeting to form working groups on sensitive issues, including agriculture.
Over the weeks since the Cancun meeting a number of Western Hemisphere countries had already defected from the group,
called the G-21 and led by Brazil and India.
President Bush also welcomed the APEC Leaders' commitment to fight corruption and promote transparency.
Following is the text of the White House fact sheet on U.S. actions at the first day of the APEC summit:
(begin fact sheet)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Bangkok, Thailand)
For Immediate Release
October 20, 2003
FACT SHEET
U.S. Actions at the APEC Summit: Day One
"The United States ... supports free trade because a world that trades in freedom will grow in prosperity and in
security. For developing nations, free trade tied to economic reform has helped to lift hundreds of millions of people
out of poverty. The growth of economic freedom and ownership in developing countries creates the habits of liberty and
creates the pressure for democracy and political reform. Economic integration through trade can also foster political
cooperation by promoting peace between nations. As free trade expands across the earth, the realm of human freedom
expands with it."
President George W. Bush
September 3, 2003
White House
Presidential Action
President Bush came to the APEC Leaders Meeting to encourage increased efforts to combat security threats and promote
economic growth.
In a significant development today, the 21 APEC Leaders agreed to re-energize the Doha negotiations by working off the
text developed at Cancun. President Bush also welcomed Leaders' commitment to fight corruption and promote transparency.
WTO and Free Trade: APEC Leaders agreed with President Bush that the Cancun World Trade Organization (WTO) talks were a
missed opportunity for all to advance the Doha Development Agenda. The United States went to Cancun prepared to address
difficult issues, and has tabled ambitious market access proposals in the three main areas of the Doha talks --
agriculture, goods, and services. Useful work was done in Cancun in developing a Chairman's negotiating text, but the
meeting broke down without members endorsing the text. In a significant development today, the 21 APEC Leaders, with
U.S. encouragement, agreed to work off of Chairman Derbez' text of September 13, 2003, as a basis for moving the global
trade talks forward, recognizing that flexibility and political will from all will be needed.
The United States is prepared to move forward with the Doha negotiations, if all parties are ready to negotiate
seriously on substance. At the same time, the United States will proceed with regional and bilateral free trade
agreements. Yesterday, President Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin announced their intent to launch negotiations on a
U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement. This is the latest in a series of U.S. market opening initiatives in the
Asia-Pacific region, including:
-- Free trade with Canada and Mexico;
-- Recently signed free trade agreements with Chile and Singapore;
-- Ongoing free trade agreement negotiations with Australia;
-- The Enterprise for ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Initiative to encourage free flow of commerce and
investment; and
-- Trade and Investment Framework Agreements with Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and
Thailand.
Promoting Transparency and Fighting Corruption: President Bush believes the Asia-Pacific region should be a leader in
global efforts to combat corruption, which the World Bank has identified as the single greatest obstacle to economic and
social development, cutting growth rates by 0.5 to 1 percent. He endorsed Leaders' agreement to implement by 2005
transparency standards in investment, intellectual property rights, and customs procedures, and to take action on trade
facilitation. At U.S. urging, APEC Leaders also agreed to develop specific actions to combat corruption.