PM ‘disappointed’ as Apec called off

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she is ‘‘disappointed’’ that a major economic summit in Chile has been called off as protest engulfs Santiago.

Chilean President Sebastia´n Pin˜ era announced yesterday that the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) meeting planned for later this month would be cancelled as mass protests continue to roil the nation.

This is the first time the important economic summit has been cancelled.

Ardern was scheduled to attend Apec alongside leaders from many other Pacific nations, notably the United States and China.

United States President Donald Trump announced earlier in November that he would be looking to sign ‘‘phase one’’ of a trade war accord with China’s President Xi Jinping at the summit.

There has been speculation that Ardern was keen to get the much-delayed Zero Carbon Bill passed into law ahead of the summit, which was to be followed by a United Nations climate summit.

Ardern denied this yesterday, instead saying the Government was simply keen to get the bill passed before the end of the year.

A business statement released earlier in October suggests the bill is scheduled to go through its final two stages before the planned summit.

‘‘That particular wasn’t in my thinking.

‘‘My goal is to pass the Zero Carbon Act before the end of the year,’’ Ardern said.

‘‘It will be incredibly

deadline

dis

Protests in Chile have escalated to the point where Apec has been cancelled.

appointing for Chile that they won’t be hosting, at an incredibly short notice, which means it sounds like Apec is off for the year,’’ Ardern said.

‘‘It would have been a venue where we could talk about those increasing trade tensions.

‘‘So my hope is we find other venues to talk about those issues that we have seen.

‘‘None of us benefit from the trade wars that we have seen in recent times.

‘‘Forums like Apec are forums where we can seek to find solutions, so it is disappointing that won’t be able to happen this year.’’

The prime minister is travelling to the East Asia Summit in Thailand later this week.

At least 20 people have died since the protests in Chile began.

The original flashpoint for the protests was a fare hike on Santiago’s metro system.

New Zealand is set to host Apec in Auckland in 2021, although those plans have also run into problems with the recent fire at the yet-to-becompleted SkyCity convention centre.