Xi Jinping Attends the 24th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Delivers Keynote Speech, Stressing to Forge Ahead into the Future for Progress and Prosperity and Jointly Write an Exciting Chapter of Asia-Pacific Cooperation

On November 20, 2016 local time, the 24th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting was held in Lima, Peru. President Xi Jinping attended the meeting and delivered an important speech entitled "Forge Ahead into the Future for Progress and Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific", stressing to deepen Asia-Pacific partnership, pursue win-win cooperation and prosperity through openness and connectivity, and keep forging ahead to create an even brighter future for our region.

Before the meeting, Xi Jinping and other attending leaders arrived in succession, and they were warmly welcomed by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peru.

At 10:15 a.m. local time, the meeting began. President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski presided over the meeting, which is themed "Quality Growth and Human Development". Leaders of various economies at the meeting exchanged in-depth views on such thematic priorities as "Challenges to Free Trade and Investment in the Current Global Context", "food safety, climate change adaptation and access to water" and "Asia-Pacific Integration: Towards Real and Functional Connectivity in the Region".

Xi Jinping stressed that we need to stay committed to taking economic globalization forward, steer it towards a more inclusive and mutually beneficial direction and oppose all forms of protectionism. We need to stay committed to increasing openness in the Asia-Pacific economy, support the multilateral trading regime, and realize the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) at an early date. We need to stay committed to breaking bottlenecks in regional connectivity, and deeply implement the Connectivity Blueprint for 2015-2025 adopted in Beijing. We need to promote connectivity in infrastructure, institutions and personnel flows, and have a multi-dimensional connectivity network. We need to enhance the docking between the "Belt and Road" initiative and development strategies as well as cooperation initiatives of relevant parties. We need to stay committed to blazing new trails in reform and innovation, advance economic structural reform, and create impetus for the Asia-Pacific to lead the world economy.

Xi Jinping emphasized that over the past 25 years since it joined the APEC, China has given priority to opening up to the Asia-Pacific. As the 2020 deadline of Bogor Goals draws near, we need to be more forward-looking in our cooperation and build consensus for a cooperation vision with a longer time frame. With a focus on development, China will work with other parties to increase openness, pursue regional economic integration and connectivity, and jointly write an exciting chapter of Asia-Pacific cooperation.

As the meeting went on in the afternoon, Xi Jinping delivered a speech on boosting sustainable development. Xi Jinping pointed out that this year marks the first year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The APEC should take actions to jointly boost sustainable development. We need to facilitate inclusive development and share development benefits with the people. We need to advance green development to improve the quality and benefit of development. Connectivity construction and interconnected development should be accelerated as well. China has taken the lead to release China's National Plan on Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We will carry out the concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, comprehensively advance the implementation of the agenda, and continue to make positive contributions to global and Asia-Pacific development.

Leaders of various economies said that the Asia-Pacific is an important driving force for global economic growth. Under the current situation, all sides need to build an open economy for Asia-Pacific, oppose trade protectionism, deeply advance the FTAAP process and continuously push forward multi-dimensional connectivity, so as to inject new impetus into the economic growth of Asia-Pacific and the world. All member economies should continue to give full play to the role of the APEC, properly implement the outcomes of previous meetings and make a good plan for the vision of future cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, so as to promote lasting prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.

The meeting issued the 24th APEC Leaders' Declaration.

On the morning of the same day, Xi Jinping, together with leaders of other APEC economies, attended an informal dialogue on global economic situation, listened to the presentation on global economic situation by Managing Director of International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde and elaborated China's views towards world economy, emphasizing that China's resolution to push forward reform can never be shaken and it is confident in the prospect of reform and development.