Trump, leaders promote trade

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Leaders from the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation forum, including President Trump, pledged Friday to work toward free, open and nondiscriminatory trade and investment to revive their coronavirus-battered economies.

The leaders cast aside differences to issue their first joint statement since 2017, in which they agreed to further deepen regional integration by working toward a large free trade agreement involving the 21 APEC economies.

This year’s host, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, told a news conference that the U. S. China trade war that had hampered talks in the past has “been eclipsed” by the COVID19 pandemic.

With growth in the Asia-Pacific region expected to slump 2.7% this year, from a 3.6% growth in 2019, he said APEC’s focus was on accelerating economic recovery and developing an affordable vaccine.

Muhyiddin also urged nations to stay united in combating COVID19 and ensure that vaccines and health technologies are made affordable and accessible to all.

APEC, whose members account for 60% of global GDP, has also “pledged to refrain from backtracking and resorting to protectionist measures to keep markets and borders open,” he added.

Trump’s participation Friday, his first since 2017, came as a surprise as he challenges the outcome of the U. S. presidential election, won by Joe Biden. Last weekend, Trump skipped the East Asia Summits.