{ "id": "RL31038", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL31038", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 342982, "date": "2007-09-21", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T17:54:27.363029", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the 2007 Meetings in Sydney, Australia", "summary": "There is apparent agreement between Congress and the Bush Administration that the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a potential vehicle for advancing U.S. economic, trade, diplomatic, and security interests both globally and regionally. In particular, APEC offers the United States an organizational counterpoint to other proposed regional associations in Asia. However, the organization\u2019s approach and perspective on these issues may pose problems for the United States. By design, APEC operates on the basis of consensus, under which its members voluntarily liberalize their economic and trade policies. As a result, APEC lacks enforcement mechanisms commonly seen in other multilateral organizations.\nThe main topics of discussion during the September 2007 two-day Leaders\u2019 Meeting and the two-day Ministerial Meeting were climate change and regional economic integration. The Leaders issued a separate joint declaration on climate change, which included \u201caspirational\u201d commitments to reduce energy intensity by at least 25% by 2030 and to increase regional forest cover by at least 20 million hectares by 2020. APEC\u2019s consensus position on the latter topic entitled \u201cStrengthening Regional Economic Integration,\u201d was endorsed by the Leaders. The APEC meetings also discussed the recent global problem with food and product safety.\nFor the Bush Administration, the APEC meetings provided an opportunity to reiterate its interest in forming a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and to hold bilateral talks with a number of important Asia leaders. During the APEC meetings, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and President George Bush signed the U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty. Also, during his speech to the APEC Business Summit, President Bush proposed the creation of an \u201cAsia Pacific Democracy Partnership.\u201d Some APEC members were critical of the departure of President Bush and Secretary Rice prior to the end of the Leaders\u2019 Meeting.\nProponents of greater U.S. involvement in APEC argue that the association provide the United States with a vehicle to re-energize its involvement in Asian trade discussions and to take a more active diplomatic role in the region. They suggest the United States should increase its financial assistance to APEC, through the annual contribution and specific assistance programs, and alterations in U.S. laws and policies on key issues. Others maintain that APEC may not be an effective mechanism for advancing U.S. interests in the region.\nThe President\u2019s initiatives at Sydney present the 110th Congress with opportunities to weigh in on the issue. Congress may take up the issue of the current level of direct and indirect financial support for APEC. Also, Congress may consider APEC\u2019s goals of trade and investment liberalization when legislating on various other programs. In addition, the Senate faces consideration of the new defense treaty with Australia.\nThis report will be updated as circumstances warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL31038", "sha1": "be69d7fc9a84e3ae840a1118a7f2f47564af28dd", "filename": "files/20070921_RL31038_be69d7fc9a84e3ae840a1118a7f2f47564af28dd.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31038", "sha1": "afa743b96d1e2fb9c306018928e44c6fa11b331b", "filename": "files/20070921_RL31038_afa743b96d1e2fb9c306018928e44c6fa11b331b.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc818758/", "id": "RL31038_2007Jan25", "date": "2007-01-25", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the 2006 Meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20070125_RL31038_22ca33211ee1e61728dbc86694043498bef74395.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20070125_RL31038_22ca33211ee1e61728dbc86694043498bef74395.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc812531/", "id": "RL31038_2004Aug06", "date": "2004-08-06", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2004 Summit in Santiago, Chile", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20040806_RL31038_5268c2ff7dddac2547559f375e2e9dc9788fe48e.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20040806_RL31038_5268c2ff7dddac2547559f375e2e9dc9788fe48e.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5577/", "id": "RL31038 2003-08-01", "date": "2003-08-01", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T11:56:32", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2003 Summit in Bangkok, Thailand", "summary": "On October 20-21, 2003, the Eleventh APEC Leader\u2019s Meeting (informal summit) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme for APEC 2003 is \u201cA World of Differences: Partnership for the Future\u201d which is intended to bring together the best potential of all APEC economies to confront the challenges of the future, particularly in achieving the APEC goal of free and open trade and investment for developed APEC economies. For the United States, APEC raises fundamental questions that are of special interest to Congress. One is whether consensus can be achieved on the APEC vision of free trade and investment in the Asia Pacific or whether future trade liberalization will be confined primarily to bilateral free-trade agreements or multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20030801_RL31038_c2168e53e3ca4a77150c8f73337d1a51bcf19ac2.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20030801_RL31038_c2168e53e3ca4a77150c8f73337d1a51bcf19ac2.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3541/", "id": "RL31038 2002-12-11", "date": "2002-12-11", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T11:55:32", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2002 Summit in Mexico", "summary": "On October 26-27, 2002, the Tenth APEC Leaders\u2019 Meeting (summit) was hosted by Mexico in Las Cabos, Mexico. The official theme for APEC 2002 is to expand the benefits of cooperation for economic growth and development and enable the APEC vision to be implemented. For the United States, APEC raises fundamental questions that are of special interest to Congress. One is whether consensus can be achieved on the APEC vision of free trade and investment in the Asia Pacific or whether future trade liberalization will be confined primarily to bilateral free-trade agreements or multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20021211_RL31038_3b4a9e5f3cce1d17ca7ac1149fb4369247767369.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20021211_RL31038_3b4a9e5f3cce1d17ca7ac1149fb4369247767369.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs3539/", "id": "RL31038 2002-10-17", "date": "2002-10-17", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T11:54:30", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2002 Summit in Mexico", "summary": "On October 26-27, 2002, the Tenth APEC Leaders\u2019 Meeting (summit) was hosted by Mexico in Las Cabos, Mexico. The official theme for APEC 2002 is to expand the benefits of cooperation for economic growth and development and enable the APEC vision to be implemented. For the United States, APEC raises fundamental questions that are of special interest to Congress. One is whether consensus can be achieved on the APEC vision of free trade and investment in the Asia Pacific or whether future trade liberalization will be confined primarily to bilateral free-trade agreements or multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20021017_RL31038_8fdeaea3d031ec939ff89a8d26702cf7b5415b66.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20021017_RL31038_8fdeaea3d031ec939ff89a8d26702cf7b5415b66.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs2015/", "id": "RL31038 2001-10-26", "date": "2001-10-26", "retrieved": "2005-06-12T11:53:25", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2001 Summit in Shanghai", "summary": "On October 20-21, 2001, the Ninth APEC Leaders\u2019 Meeting (summit) was hosted by China in Shanghai. The office theme for APEC 2001 was \u201cMeeting New Challenges in the New Century: Achieving Common Prosperity through Participation and Cooperation\u201d with the sub-themes of: (1) sharing the benefits of globalization and the new economy, (2) advancing trade and investment, and (3) promoting sustained economic growth. For the United States, APEC raises fundamental questions that are of special interest to Congress. One is whether consensus can be achieved on the APEC vision of free trade and investment in the Asia Pacific or whether future trade liberalization will be confined primarily to bilateral free-trade agreements or multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20011026_RL31038_e63a5b9fe2b1d3c8167585e555bc47c630191ddb.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20011026_RL31038_e63a5b9fe2b1d3c8167585e555bc47c630191ddb.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817899/", "id": "RL31038_2001Sep27", "date": "2001-09-27", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Free Trade, and the 2001 Summit in Shanghai", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20010927_RL31038_c8dc87f2b0496e2f88bde91d3b67d25ebc7a5090.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20010927_RL31038_c8dc87f2b0496e2f88bde91d3b67d25ebc7a5090.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Economic Policy", "Foreign Affairs", "Intelligence and National Security", "National Defense" ] }