By Izabela Kuczynska
BEIJING
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting came to an end in China’s capital Beijing Tuesday with leaders of the 21 APEC economies agreeing to establish an anti-corruption network.
According to a statement released late Tuesday, the network - called the APEC Network of Anti-Corruption Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies - would allow corrupt officials who have fled overseas to be repatriated faster, and their assets seized.
The two days of meetings focused on many areas of cooperation, including economic integration, connectivity, innovation, increasing trade, and collaboration in the areas of energy, agriculture, ecology and culture.
It saw two important documents adopted - "Statement on the 25th Anniversary of APEC: Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership" and "The 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration: Beijing Agenda for an Integrated, Innovative and Interconnected Asia-Pacific " - while members endorsed a roadmap for promoting the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific process and approved important initiatives on global value chains, supply chains and capacity building.
In closing remarks, China's President Xi Jinping said: "We have had thorough and fruitful discussions on the meeting's theme and three major topics and exchanged views on the vision of Asia-Pacific development and the future direction of APEC cooperation."
"This meeting has achieved rich achievements and met its expected targets. All parties are satisfied," Xi told a press conference after.
APEC, established in 1989 due to the growth of Asia-Pacific economies, brought together leaders from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.S. and Vietnam.
The cooperation accounts for 40 percent of the world’s population, 55 percent of world GDP and 44 percent of global trade.
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