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WORLD NEWS 9
Tuesday 17 November 2015
US-China rivalry, Paris attack in spotlight at Manila summit
JIM GOMEZ acronym means “A Per- A police officer adjusts his riot gear outside of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Associated Press fect Excuse to Chat.” But
MANILA, Philippines (AP) proponents believe those venue in Manila, Philippines, Monday, Nov. 16, 2015. Providing security for a summit of world
— Tensions with China and qualities are its strengths.
the Paris attacks could up- “That’s exactly the beauty leaders including President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart is a huge undertaking
stage trade issues at the of APEC, you don’t have
Asia Pacific Economic Co- to worry about commit- for any country. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
operation summit, being ting yourself to anything
held under extra-heavy because it’s non-binding,” on his or her own. The com- APEC, said a Southeast APEC’s response could still
security in the Philippine said Philippine Finance promise: a paragraph on Asian diplomat who at- change when the leaders
capital this week. Secretary Cesar Purisima. terrorism is being added tended the meetings. The meet.
President Barack Obama “It gives leaders the free- to the APEC summit state- diplomat spoke on condi- They have a precedent.
and the leaders of China, dom to bounce ideas, new ment. tion of anonymity because APEC leaders issued a
Japan, Mexico and other ideas.” One diplomat rejected the conversations were not statement in Shanghai in
nations in the 21-member Though members tend to any mention of the attacks intended to be public. October 2001 to condemn
APEC bloc are converging shy away from divisive se- in the statement, fearing The diplomat said the Unit- the attacks in the U.S. the
with 7,000 officials, CEOs curity and geopolitical is- it would draw the Islamic ed States wanted a strong- month before and vowed
and other participants at a sues, rifts and political strife State group’s attention to ly worded response and to help combat terrorism.q
convention center by Ma- often overshadow the an-
nila Bay. nual show of unity that is
The meetings culminate in symbolized by the photo-
a 2-day summit of leaders op of leaders dressed in
beginning Wednesday. quirky or traditional shirts
Russia’s president, Vladi- provided by the host coun-
mir Putin, is skipping the try. Friday’s attacks in Paris
Manila meetings, partly that killed at least 129 peo-
to focus on an investiga- ple have already created
tion into the Oct. 31 crash a dilemma for APEC. The Is-
of a Russian passenger jet lamic State group claimed
in Egypt that killed all 224 responsibility for the at-
people on board. He will tacks on a stadium, a con-
be represented by Prime cert hall and Paris cafes.
Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Behind closed doors, senior
Indonesian President Joko diplomats were divided
“Jokowi” Widodo will likely over whether to issue a
stay home to deal with do- statement on the attacks
mestic problems, accord- or let each leader speak
ing to Philippine officials.
Founded in 1989 in Can- Report: UN chief to visit North Korea this week
berra, Australia, APEC
aims to demolish barriers HYUNG-JIN KIM has said North Korea gave Ban would be the first U.N. weapons program and
to trade and investment Associated Press no reason for the cancel- head to visit North Ko- strained ties between
through nonbinding ac- SEOUL, South Korea (AP) lation. He had not planned rea since Boutros Boutros- the two Koreas. Ban was
cords. The unwieldy group- — U.N. Secretary-Gener- to visit Pyongyang at that Ghali in 1993. South Korea’s foreign min-
ing of countries and self- al Ban Ki-moon will visit time. Yonhap news agen- Yonhap, quoting another ister before taking up the
governing territories that Pyongyang this week for cy cited an unidentified unidentified U.N. source, top U.N. job.
range from liberal democ- a possible meeting with source in the U.N. when it said Ban is expected to Ban had said before his
racies to dictatorships ac- leader Kim Jong Un, a reported Sunday about meet Kim because it’s un- canceled Kaesong park
counts for 3 billion people, South Korean news report Ban’s Pyongyang trip. It likely for the secretary gen- trip that he hoped his visit
half of global trade and 60 said. gave no details on the pur- eral to visit a U.N. member would help improve ties
percent of world GDP. The possible trip comes six pose of the trip or the day state without meeting the between the Koreas. Ana-
Critics say APEC, which has months after Pyongyang it would take place. country’s leader. lysts in Seoul said at the
focused mainly on eco- at the last minute can- U.N. spokesman Stephane That source was quot- time that Pyongyang may
nomic and trade issues, celed an invitation for Ban Dujarric and Seoul’s Uni- ed as saying Ban’s trip have scrapped the trip
has few concrete achieve- to visit an inter-Korean fac- fication Ministry said they could serve as a break- because it felt Ban would
ments because of its non- tory park in the North Ko- had no comment. through in the standoff back only the views of
binding status. They dub it rean city of Kaesong. Ban If the trip does take place, over North Korea’snuclear Washington and Seoul.q
a talk shop and joke the
