9 Things President Duterte Said
Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was invited to speak at the APEC CEO Summit in Da Nang on Thursday, in his capacity as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for 2017. The Philippines was a founding member of APEC. These are ten things President Duterte had to say about APEC, globalization, and free trade.
1. On Asia-Pacific trade
“The concept of Asia-Pacific trade is not new. Close to five centuries ago the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade flourished for 250 years. The Trans-Pacific exchange foreshadowed our modern-day trade.”
2. On the importance of APEC
“Twenty-eight years after its founding, APEC has remained a driving force in the engine of world economic growth. Individual and collective efforts of APEC members have generated a total GDP rise to account for 59 per cent of the world’s nominal GDP.”
3. On the diversity of member economies
“Diversity will always pull us in separate directions, but regional integration, anchored on open trade, will allow us to maximize the opportunities presented by global trends like cross-border flows and digital development.”
4. On inclusive growth and small businesses
“Ecommerce platforms such as the Pacific market place, will not only help realize the potential of liberal markets, but will also promote inclusive growth by drawing MSMEs into the digital economy, and allowing them to expand.”
5. On connecting people and organizations from across oceans
“As the fulcrum of several integrated mechanisms as ASEAN and Pacific Alliance, APEC can be instrumental in promoting more inter- and intra-regional trade, and investment and people-to-people connectivity between other economic bocks.”
6. On connectivity
“The backbone of integration is stable and robust connectivity. Just as the galleons were in the 16th Century trans-Pacific trade. Since ASEAN is a region of vast physical divide, a stable, interconnected and integrated infrastructure is a necessary backbone of our progress.”
7. On the goals of APEC and the ASEAN
“The ASEAN Masterplan on ASEAN Connectivity in 2025, and the APEC Connectivity Blueprint of 2015-2025 can complement each other in establishing a seamless and comprehensively connected and integrated region, which in time will serve as the foundation of the FTAAP.”
8. On inclusivity through both competition and cooperation
“To unleash the potential of globalization, we must create an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity for growth. This can be achieved through the promotion of competition, complementation and cooperation among businesses.”
9. On the relevance of APEC after 2020
“The reality is that APEC will only be relevant if prosperity is shared by all.”