APEC leaders condemn Paris attacks in planned statement

Just 28 percent of businessmen with investments in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies said they were “very confident” revenues would increase in the next 12 months, PricewaterhouseCoopers said as it released the survey.

A Philippine marine checks an anti-aircraft gun placed around the venue for this week’s APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit of Leaders Monday, Nov.16, 2015 in Manila, Philippines.

Leaders gathering for a regional summit in the Philippines have condemned the Paris attacks.

But China, whose president, Xi Jinping, will be arriving on Tuesday to attend the leaders’ meeting on November 18 and 19, earlier asked the Philippines not to bring up the issue during the summit.

Expected to attend this year’s summit are the presidents, sultan and prime ministers of “Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam”. President Putin would instead send a Russian delegation headed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said the country can expect the participation of all 21 member economies in the APEC summit in Manila this week. “We’re not like Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that would include security issues”, Dr. Alan Bollard, executive director of Apec Secretariat, said during a press briefing at the worldwide Media Center at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

China and the US are constantly jockeying for economic and political clout in the region, during APEC summits and other occasions, and at the moment Xi is battling headwinds given the friction over territorial spats. They dub it a talk shop and joke the acronym means “A ideal Excuse to Chat”.

He said that a number of leaders and representatives will be meeting in private “taking advantage of the fact that they are all here”.

Del Rosario said the visit also expects to further strengthen bilateral relations between China and the Philippines.

Two US military patrols in seas claimed by China, including last week’s flight by a pair of B-52 bombers near the artificial islands, have been welcomed by America’s allies in Asia.

U.S.-Philippine military ties are already robust.