President Donald Trump is just one of 21 leaders attending the annual Pacific Rim summit that begins Friday in the scenic coastal city of Danang, Vietnam.
DANANG, Vietnam — President Donald Trump is just one of 21 leaders attending the annual Pacific Rim summit that begins Friday in the scenic coastal city of Danang, Vietnam.
Trump’s withdrawal from a regional trade pact and his preference for country-to-country deals are at odds with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum’s longstanding mission to fight protectionism. But the group will strive to find ways to demonstrate unity on some important issues, including concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program.
TRADE
As a regional economic forum, the 21-member APEC works from the grassroots level up to promote trade and investment across the region. The U. S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership was a setback for the regional effort to create a framework for an eventual regional free trade area. But the remaining 11 TPP members are working toward a new deal that can move ahead without the U. S., while other regional trade deals are also under negotiation. On trade, Trump may find himself sidelined as other leaders push ahead with their multi-country talks on opening markets.
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NORTH KOREA
Trump arrives straight from Beijing, where he was lobbying North Korea’s chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support to take more forceful measures against Pyongyang.
North Korea’s nuclear program is seen as a threat to regional security and stability, the underpinnings of the region’s fast growth and growing affluence.
