India will not join RCEP trade deal in blow to sprawling Asian pact

Yahoo – AFP, Joe Freeman, Jenny VAUGHAN, November 4, 2019

India opted not to join a major Asian trade pact over concerns about market access 
being hindered by cheap Chinese-made goods -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 
and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang are seen here at the summit in Bangkok (AFP Photo/
Manan VATSYAYANA)

India said Monday it would not join a sprawling Asian trade pact, dealing a blow to the China-backed deal at the end of a Bangkok summit held against a backdrop of global growth fears.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was meant to account for 30 percent of global GDP and loop in half of the world's people.

But India dug in over concerns about market access, fearing its domestic industries would be hit hard if the country was flooded by cheap Made-in-China goods.

"We have conveyed to the participating countries that we will not be joining the RCEP," Vijay Thakur Singh, a senior diplomat in charge of East Asia for India's foreign ministry, told reporters.

"Our decision was guided by the impact this agreement will have on the ordinary human beings of India and livelihood of people, including the poorest of the poor," she said.

The 11th-hour pullout comes after days of late-running negotiations at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which closed Monday.

The meeting was dominated by trade issues -- with RCEP front and centre -- backlit by the crippling US-China tariff war.

India's decision is seen as a blow to the deal, which now includes all 10 ASEAN states plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- notably excluding the United States.

The remaining members are aiming to sign it next year after reviewing an agreed draft text.

The news came after a full day of meetings at the summit, attended by the leaders of Japan, South Korea, and India, along with China's premier.

Washington did not send top officials to a weekend meeting of the 10-member 

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), dispatching Commerce 

Secretary Wilbur Ross (R) and National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien (AFP

Photo/Romeo GACAD)

Some leaders pushed back against protectionism amid fears Trump's trade war with China could slow global growth to the lowest rate in a decade, according to an International Monetary Fund prediction.

"We need to protect the free-trade order... and bring the global economy back on track," said South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.

The US-China spat has seen the two sides swap tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods, though they have agreed to roll back some of the measures with a "first phase" deal that could be soon signed.

'Treated generously'

Notably absent from the Bangkok talks were any top US officials -- Washington sent Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien in lieu of President Donald Trump.

That decision raised diplomatic eyebrows and appeared to prompt several Southeast Asian leaders to skip a meeting with US officials on Monday.

Just three leaders from the 10-member ASEAN bloc showed up to the session, along with a host of foreign ministers.

But O'Brien, Trump's special envoy to ASEAN, shrugged off the apparent snub, describing "excellent conversations" with leaders.

"I was treated generously," he told reporters.

O'Brien earlier read a letter from Trump inviting "the leaders of ASEAN to join me in the United States for a special summit" in the first three months of next year.

Trump attended the 2017 summit in Singapore and Vice President Mike Pence attended last year's event in Manila.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has 10 members 

(AFP Photo/John SAEKI)

But the Republican president could not come this year because he was busy with campaign events back home, a senior White House official said.

Trump's administration is accused of retreating from Asia after he pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- slated to be the world's largest trade pact before the withdrawal.

The US leader has said he wants to pursue bilateral agreements over free trade accords to narrow trade gaps in the region -- part of his "America First" clarion call.

- Open door -

Thailand handed over the ASEAN chair to Vietnam, where the RCEP deal could finally be signed, after years of gruelling negotiations.

A senior trade diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not budge because he was under domestic pressure.

But the source held out the option that New Delhi could join at a "later date" even after it is signed -- if outstanding issues are resolved.

China's deputy foreign minister Le Yucheng echoed the view.

"Whenever India is ready, it is welcome to get on board," he said before Delhi confirmed its pullout.

Analyst Deborah Elms said the deal shows a commitment to "stabilising trade in the region at a time of growing uncertainty".

But "India will never get a better deal from the members than what they have already managed," said Elms, director of the Asian Trade Centre.

EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

DW, 1 February 2019

Almost all tariffs on trade between the European Union and the world's third-biggest economy have been removed. European companies could save around a billion euros in duties each year.

   

A free trade agreement between Japan and the EU entered into force on February 1, covering 635 million people and almost one-third of the world's economy.

Dubbed the world's largest free trade agreement, the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement removes duties on almost all agricultural and industrial products and opens up the service sector and procurement. It also moves to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade.

The highlights of the deal

• Japan will have scrappped duties on 97 percent of goods imported from the EU once the agreement is fully implemented.
• Open access to the Japanese market will save EU companies from paying €1 billion ($1.14 billion) of duties annually.
• The EU will eliminate tariffs on 99 percent of imports from Japan.
• In the automotive sector, the EU will eliminate duties over a seven-year transition period.
• Both sides will eliminate duties on nearly all food and agricultural products.
• The service market will be opened, including financial services, e-commerce, telecommunications and transport.
• For the first time, the trade agreement includes countries' Paris climate deal commitments.
• The text also addresses sustainable development and sets standards for labor, safety, environmental and consumer protection.

'Protecting brand names'

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said: "This agreement has it all: it scraps tariffs and contributes to the global rulebook, whilst at the same time demonstrating to the world that we both remain convinced by the benefits of open trade."

The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said: "The new agreement will give consumers greater choice and cheaper prices; it will protect great European products in Japan and vice-versa, such as the Austrian Tiroler Speck or Kobe Beef; it will give small businesses on both sides the chance to branch out to a completely new market; it will save European companies 1 billion euro in duties every year and turbo-boost the trade we already do together."

Trade groups also welcomed the move.

"This agreement is the perfect example that building bridges is better than raising walls," said Pierre Gattaz, president of BusinessEurope. "When protectionism is on the rise, the EU and Japan show to the world they remain open to modern and rules-based trade."

Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, said the agreement "will stimulate additional growth and create jobs for both sides."

Read more: Japan wants to attract more European travelers

The deal protects 'Geographical Indications' such as Cheddar, Kobe beef and
Scotch whiskey

What is the status of EU-Japan trade?

Japan is the EU’s second-largest trade partner in Asia after China. EU businesses export €58 billion in goods and €28 billion in services to Japan every year. The EU estimates exports to Japan will increase 13 percent, or €13 billion, as a result of the free trade zone.  Japan exports €69 billion in goods and €18 billion in services to the EU annually.

How did we get here and what’s next?

The EU and Japan began negotiations for a free trade agreement in 2013. The European Parliament and Japan’s parliament approved the deal last year after both sides finalized negotiations in December 2017.

EU and Japan are continuing investment protection negotiations and hope to reach an understanding as soon as possible.

After poncho mockery, world leaders tone it down in Peru with shawls

Yahoo – AFP, Sam Reeves,  November 20, 2016

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group has a decades-old tradition of
getting presidents and prime ministers to don traditional garments of the host
country for their annual get-together (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Lima (AFP) - After sparking ridicule several years ago by dressing world leaders in baggy ponchos, Peru toned it down Sunday by getting dignitaries at a major summit to wear shawls made from the fine wool of a mountain-dwelling creature called the vicuna.

From Chinese tunics to Philippine pineapple shirts, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group has a decades-old tradition of getting presidents and prime ministers to don traditional garments of the host country for their annual get-together.

And Peru was not going to disappoint as heads of APEC nations gathered in the capital Lima, with leaders appearing for the traditional "family photo" with long, brown shawls made from the coveted wool of the vicuna -- a llama-like animal -- draped over their shoulders.

The global power players, among them US President Barack Obama, China's Xi Jinping and Japan's Shinzo Abe, looked relaxed, smiling and waving as they lined up in alphabetical order according to their countries.

By opting for shawls rather than ponchos, the attire generally associated with the South American nation, Peru may have been seeking to avoid the mockery that accompanied its hosting of the 2008 APEC summit.

On that occasion, world leaders appeared in voluminous ponchos, leading some to poke fun at the unflattering, shapeless garments for resembling potato sacks.

The wool of the vicuna, an animal found in the Andes mountains, is among the rarest natural fibers in the world, making it extremely costly and prized by fashion designers.

It was a relatively modest APEC fashion parade compared to previous editions, 

which have sometimes led to awkward moments (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

A businesswoman working in the fashion industry in Peru told AFP the price of such a shawl would be "between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the quality."

The vicuna, which as the national animal of Peru appears in the country's coat of arms, was revered by the Incas, whose ancient empire stretched over a large part of South America. Only members of royalty were permitted to wear its wool.

This year's was a relatively modest APEC fashion parade compared to previous editions, which have sometimes led to awkward moments.

When Vietnam hosted the summit several years ago, world leaders looked visibly uncomfortable as they shuffled onto the stage for a photo-op wearing the tight-fitting traditional "ao dai" tunics, which are now most commonly worn by women.

The tradition harks back to 1993, when US President Bill Clinton put his APEC colleagues in macho-looking leather bomber jackets -- the kind worn by World War II fighter pilots.

A look back #APECsummit traditional fashion as Peru chooses vicuna wool shawls after 2008 poncho mockery https://t.co/5hQDxxgqV8 pic.twitter.com/o8S01KOMdx

— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 20, 2016

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Asia-Pacific leaders pose for the traditional family photo at the APEC summit in Lima

Asean Establishes Landmark Economic and Security Bloc

Jakarta Globe, Trinna Leong, November 22, 2015

Asean leaders joined China's Premier Li Keqiang at the summit in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. (AFP Photo/Fred Dufour)

Kuala Lumpur. Southeast Asian nations on Sunday established a formal community that attempts to create freer movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of $2.6 trillion.

The community declaration was signed by leaders of the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Kuala Lumpur, this year's host of the group's annual summit.

Twelve years in the making, the Asean community is a landmark in the 48-year history of a group founded at the height of the Cold War as an anti-communist bulwark.

The Asean Community includes a political, security and socio-cultural dimension in a region with governments ranging from communist in Vietnam and quasi-military in Myanmar to the kingdom of Brunei and the boisterous democracy of the Philippines.

But it is the economic community that offers the most concrete opportunities for integration in a region whose combined gross domestic product (GDP) would make it the world's seventh-largest economy.

In practice, Asean has already virtually eliminated tariff barriers among the 10 countries, said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the summit host, at the signing ceremony. "We now have to ensure that we create a truly single market and production base, with freer movement of goods and services."

At the closing news conference, however, he said Asean had no specific deadline for achieving zero tariffs, but would aim for "meaningful deliverables that can be done every year when we meet at the Asean summit."

The combined GDP of the Asean economies is expected to grow from $2.6 trillion to $4.7 trillion by 2020, Najib said, and could become the world's fourth-largest economy as a bloc as early as 2030.

The countries aim to harmonize economic strategies, recognize each other's professional qualifications and consult more closely on macroeconomic and financial policies.

They have also agreed to enhance the connectivity of their transportation infrastructure and communications, better facilitate electronic transactions, integrate industries to promote regional sourcing, and enhance private-sector involvement in the economy.

Eight groups of professionals will be able to work more easily throughout the region: engineers, architects, nurses, doctors, dentists, accountants, surveyors and tourism professionals.

Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Reuters

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"Message for South America" - Nov 16, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New


"The End of History" -  Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)

" ... South America and the New Energy

South America is starting to consider the same thing. My partner was just there and I allowed him to see the energy of the potential future in that land.

I would like to paint history for you regarding South America. There was a time when every single country had a dictator. Less than 15 years ago, they had failing economies and currencies that were worthless. Trouble and strife and killings were the norm. Marauding drug lords openly killed in the streets and corruption was everywhere. Even the politicians created fear and many disappeared overnight, never to be seen again. Today it isn't that way. Today, there is an ongoing stability as one country after another brings a new, positive, stable energy to their cultures. So, without a concentrated effort by any kind of multi-national leadership or direction, how could this have changed in only 15 years?

Within the entire continent, there's only one dictator left. What's happening? If you think that's amazing, there is a move afoot that you're not going to hear about yet. But they're discussing it right now, so let me tell you what they're thinking. "What would happen if we took these countries and eliminated the borders?" Sound familiar? They're talking about it. In back rooms where nobody is reporting it, they're saying, "What about a plan of eventually having one currency from the top of Columbia to the bottom of Chile? And we would be strong and we would be unified." And dear ones, I'm here to tell you, that it's going to work, and it might not take 50 years. Soon the one dictator will be gone, and the unification can begin.

There's a shift happening on this planet ...."

Seoul hosts rare Asian summit

A rare Asian summit in Seoul has brought together the leaders of China, Japan and host South Korea, focused on regional security and trade. Also on their agenda is nuclear-armed North Korea.

Deutsche Welle, 1 Nov 2015

Breakthroughs were not expected at Sunday's meeting, but the commentators noted the inclusion of Japan's Prime Minister Shinze Abe whose country has long been ostracized over wartime atrocities .

Economically, however, the three Asian nations are closely linked. And, at a concluding press conference Park said the leaders had agreeed to work toward the conclusion of a 16-nation free trade area to be known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Beijing has been a key proponent of RCEP, which would create the world's biggest trade bloc of 3.4 billion people.

Dialogue had become urgent

Seoul international policy expert Kim Soung-Chul said getting dialogue "going again" had become urgent because of "many common issues" andpressures at home and abroad in each country.

A mechanism for annual trilateral meetings last resulted in a meeting in 2012.

Pressure was on S. Korea's President
Park (R) for dialog

China was represented on Sunday by Premier Li Keqiang, rather than its president Xi Jinping.

Host South Korean President Park Geun-hye had told Li on Saturday that she hoped China as North Korea's only major ally would continue to restrain the reclusive state.

More patience, urges China

Li called for more patience amid efforts to create a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula ,according to Park's office.

Abe, noted for his reluctance to fully acknowledging early 20th century atrocities committed by former imperial Japan, said en route to Seoul that he expected a "frank exchange" of views.

Separate talks due on Monday between Park and Abe were only confirmed a few days ago amid reports of bickering over how Japan's former wartime sex slavery of Korean women might be rhetorically addressed.

Many South Koreans see his past remarks as falling short of a full apology.

Tokyo professor Hideshi Takesada said the so-called "comfort women" issue was unlikely to be resolved during the summit beyond agreeing to continue dialogue.

China has bitter memories stemming from past Japanese invasion and is also at odds with Tokyo over sovereignty of an East China Sea island chain.

Washington had also pushed South Korea and Japan to heal their rift.

About 80,000 US troops are hosted by Japan and South Korea, forming the core of America's military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pentagon chief visits DMZ

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula on Sunday and renewed calls for North Korea to cease "provocations" and to lower its nuclear activities to "ultimately zero.".

He later said that the US remain committed to six-party talks that seek the denuclearization of the peninsula.

ipj/ng (AP, AFP)

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Abe promises S. Korea talks on 'comfort women'

Joko Calls on British Businesses to Diversify in Indonesia as He Meets With PM Cameron

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite & Novy Lumanauw, Jul 27, 2015

British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo
 meet at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Monday. (Reuters Photo/Darren Whiteside)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo asked Britain to diversify its businesses in Indonesia and lower import duties for Indonesian products entering the United Kingdom during his bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron in Jakarta on Monday.

Joko told Cameron he welcomed Britain’s increased investments in Indonesia, which rose 34 percent last year, but added he wished Indonesia’s fifth largest foreign investor to diversify its range of businesses in the archipelago.

“I want to encourage Britain to diversify its investment in infrastructure development, including [for the construction] of sea ports, toll roads, railways, power plants and the maritime industry. Britain has vast experiences,” said Joko, who has repeatedly invited foreign nations to invest more in Indonesia to support his ambitious infrastructure development projects — including in the maritime sector.

“I also hope that Britain will impose lower import duties for Indonesian products, such as timber, clothing, coffee and fishery products,” he added.

Joko said Indonesia was committed to continually improving its economic partnership with Britain.

The Indonesian president also expressed his wish that Britain would reciprocate Indonesia’s visa-free policy applicable to British visitors.

“We hope that there will be a visa-free facility for Indonesian citizens [going to] Britain. This issue has been discussed during limited meetings,” Joko said.

Cameron in an e-mail interview with the Jakarta Globe on Sunday said his government would offer £1 billion ($1.55 billion) of credit financing for infrastructure projects in Indonesia.

A press statement from the British Embassy in Jakarta said the fund would be made available through Britain’s export guarantee scheme.

“This financing could pave the way for growth of £200 million worth of exports to UK,” the statement says.

It adds that projects “up for grabs” include a sewage treatment system in Jakarta worth £400 million and geothermal power projects worth £66 million.

Moazzam Malik, the British Ambassador for Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Timor Leste, on Sunday said that Britain was keen to offer Indonesia its vast expertise in a number of areas — specifically in maritime infrastructure development and maritime defense, satellite technology and public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure projects.

Cameron himself told the Globe in the e-mail interview: “The UK shares a common history as a maritime nation and while we may only have hundreds of islands compared to 17,000 here, we do understand the challenges that this presents and we want to share our experience and expertise to help develop this vital sector.”

“We have a wealth of experience in using advanced technology to monitor and manage our national waters and we are also a world leader in developing marine energy.”

The British prime minister is accompanied by a delegation of leaders of 30 prominent British brands in his two-day visit to Jakarta.

Among them are Airbus Group UK president Paul Kahn, Lloyd’s of London chairman John Nelson, Rolls-Royce international director Ann Cormack, Surrey Satellite Technology group executive chairman Martin Sweeting and UK Higher Educational Unit director Vivienne Stern.

Cameron is slated to attend a business forum with the Indonesian business community in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Jakarta is the prime minister’s first stop in his four-day tour of Southeast Asia which will include Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Cameron had visited Indonesia once before, in 2012 where he met with then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Southeast Asian tour is Cameron’s first foreign visit outside Europe after his re-election in May.

The British Embassy says the tour is part of the British government’s efforts to increase the country’s exports to £1 trillion a year and to get 100,000 more British companies exporting by 2020.

“The prime minister is taking the first trade mission of the new parliament to a region [Southeast Asia] forecast to grow at 5 percent this year and with potential to unlock huge opportunities for jobs and growth in the UK,” the embassy says in the statement.

It adds that while the focus of the trip is about “opening doors” to future trade, deals worth over £750 million are expected to be sealed by the end of the trip.

On EU-Asean free trade

Aside from boosting bilateral trade, Cameron will also put his weight behind an European Union-Asean deal. He will call for the EU and Asean to jump start negotiations talks on a free trade agreement during his scheduled visit to the Asean secretariat in Jakarta on Monday evening, after the meeting with Joko.

A deal between these two trading blocs has the potential to benefit the British economy by £3 billion every year — nearly £120 per household — “by creating one of the biggest free trade areas in the world with combined GDP of over $20 trillion,” the press statement says.

Speaking ahead of the Southeast Asian tour, Cameron said Britain could open up more markets for its businesses by leveraging the power of the EU’s single market with 500 million consumers to secure “bold, ambitious trade deals with these fastest, growing economies.”

“The EU has shown this can be done with the trade agreement with Singapore and the recent breakthrough in talks with Vietnam but an EU-Asean trade deal would really turbo charge growth across the single market,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in the statement.

He added he would make the case in discussions with Asean Secretary General Le Luong Minh.

Cameron’s call comes as Asean countries prepare to establish an economic community by the end of this year.

The statement from the British Embassy notes that Australia, Japan and China “are already ahead of the game,” having implemented free trade deals with the Southeast Asian bloc.

“As the largest foreign investor in Asean, the EU should seize on this position to secure a new trade deal,”  it says.

To support Britain’s objectives in the region, Cameron has appointed a trade envoy specifically for the Asean Economic Community, Richard Graham.

Graham, who will join the prime minister for talks with Le, will take on the role alongside his existing role as trade envoy to Indonesia.

Joko on his part said Indonesia would restart this year its talks with the EU concerning Indonesia-EU comprehensive economic partnership agreement.

Xi Dangles $1.25 Trillion as China Counters US Refocus to Asia

Jakarta Globe – Bloomberg, Nov 10, 2014

China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing November 8, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Parker Song)

President Xi Jinping sought to counter US efforts aimed at boosting influence in Asia by flexing China’s economic muscle days before a Beijing summit with his counterpart Barack Obama.

Speaking to executives at a CEO gathering in Beijing, Xi outlined how much the world stands to gain from a rising China. He said outbound investment will total $1.25 trillion over the next 10 years, 500 million Chinese tourists will go abroad, and the government will spend $40 billion to revive the ancient Silk Road trade route between Asia and Europe.

“China’s development will generate huge opportunities and benefits and hold lasting and infinite promise,” Xi said. “As China’s overall national strength grows, China will be both capable and willing to provide more public goods for the Asia Pacific and the world.”

China has used the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit under way in Beijing to put forward its own trade and economic proposals to strengthen its sway in Asia. Those incentives complement a greater assertiveness in territorial disputes and moves to upgrade its military after decades of US dominance in the region.

China is rolling out counteroffers for each promise made by President Barack Obama, whom he’ll meet this week in Beijing as part of the summit. Xi is pushing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific in response to the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership, which excludes China.

An Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank mostly financed with money from Beijing is seen as an answer to the Asian Development Bank and other multinational lenders where the US and Japan have the most influence.

Economic rules

“Any time they have the chance to shape international economic rules or norms they are going to do that,” said Andrew Polk, resident economist at the Conference Board China Center for Economics and Business in Beijing. “It’s a bifurcated kind of response – there’s a reactive response to the developed world but trying to take a leadership role among other emerging economies.”

While spelling out his message, Xi also made clear China is ready to accept a lower rate of growth, assuring executives that the economy is more resilient than ever and his government can safely guide the country through any slowdown. China’s economy is targeted to grow at about 7.5 percent this year, the slowest since 1990, and Xi said a growth rate around 7 percent would still make the country a top performer.

Export dependence

Calling a slowdown part of the new normal in China, Xi said his government is weaning the economy from a dependence on exports and infrastructure and making domestic consumption the key growth engine. He said the country expects to import over $10 trillion of goods over the next five years – a further benefit to China’s partners.

Without mentioning the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Xi said a key challenge in the region is that “various types of regional free trade arrangements mushroomed, creating puzzling choices.” Underscoring the choice other nations must make, he said the region is at a crossroads.

Xi’s proposal for the free-trade agreement won praise from leaders including Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who said she didn’t see it as “mutually exclusive to other arrangements.”

The speech reflected how far China has come in the days since paramount leader Deng Xiaoping governed under the maxim of “Hide your brightness, bide your time.” In his speech, Xi noted that China’s economic growth last year was equivalent to the entire size of the economy in 1994, two years after Deng relinquished control.

“Xi Jinping has put aside Deng’s approach in steering China to lay low and bide for time,” said Steve Tsang, senior fellow of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham. “Xi acts in a way that suggests he considers the time has come for China to assert itself and request and require the rest of the world to pay their due respect.”

Bloomberg

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader. Remember where you heard it... in a strange, esoteric meeting with a guy in a chair pretending to channel. [Kryon being factious... Kryon humor] Then when you hear it, you'll know better, won't you? "Maybe there was something really there," you'll say. "Maybe it was real," you'll say. Perhaps you can skip all the drama of the years to come and consider that now? [Kryon humor again]

These leaders are going to fall over. You'll have a slow developing leadership coming to you all over the earth where there is a new energy of caring about the public. "That's just too much to ask for in politics, Kryon." Watch for it. That's just the beginning of this last phase. So many things are coming. The next one is related to this, for a country in survival with sickness cannot sustain a leadership of high consciousness. There is just too much opportunity for power and greed. But when a continent is healed, everything changes. .."

".. Many years ago, the prevailing thought was that nobody should consider China as a viable player on the economic stage. They were backward, filled with a system that would never be westernized, and had no wish to become joined with the rest of the world's economic systems. Look what has happened in only 30 years. Now, look at Africa differently …”

China's President Xi touts 'Asia-Pacific dream' ahead of APEC summit

Chinese President Xi has told a gathering of business leaders that his country's economy offers "lasting and infinite promise." Beijing is using its APEC host status to assert its ambitions as a leader in the region.

Deutsche Welle, 9 Nov 2014

In a speech to business and political leaders in Beijing on Sunday, President Xi Jinping touted the benefits of Chinese development and described his vision of an "Asia-Pacific dream" based on a "shared destiny" for the region.

"For the Asia-Pacific and the world at large, China's development will generate huge opportunities and benefits, and hold lasting and infinite promise," Xi told the gathering, ahead of the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit which kicks off in the Chinese capital on Monday.

Beijing last hosted the event in 2001, and it's seizing the opportunity to promote its credentials as the world's second largest economy and a leader in the region.

"We have the responsibility to create and realize an Asia-Pacific dream for the people of the region," Xi said.

As "China's overall national strength grows," he added, it would focus on "managing its own affairs well" while looking to "bring more benefits to the Asia-Pacific and the world."

China's outbound investment would exceed $1.25 trillion (1 trillion euros) over the next 10 years, Xi told business leaders, adding that the country would import more than $10 trillion in goods and send more than 500 million tourists abroad in the next five years.

China's free trade push

Next week's APEC summit will be attended by leaders from the forum's 21 member countries, including US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

One of the top items on the agenda is expected to be a Beijing-backed free trade initiative for the region - known as the Free-Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) - widely seen as an attempt by China to counter US domination of global trade.

The US is also promoting its own regional trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which excludes Beijing and is part of Washington's strategic "pivot" to Asia.

The APEC group accounts for 40 percent of the world's population and almost half of its trade.

Silk Road Fund

As part of another initiative aimed at increasing China's influence in regional and international trade, President Xi on Saturday pledged $40 billion for a "Silk Road Fund" to boost trade ties between Asian nations. He made the announcement following a meeting with leaders from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar and Tajikistan in Beijing, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

The fund will finance infrastructure and cooperation in industry to increase connectivity across Asia, Xi said.

"Efforts by a single or several countries are far from adequate," Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "Only by building extensive partnerships where all will think and work in unison can we expect to achieve positive results."

Last month, China and 20 other Asian governments launched a $50-billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to finance infrastructure in the region - a move the US objected to, saying such work was already being done by the World Bank.

nm/kms(AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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