Divided in Power Politics

While the Western world stood united against the terrorism, the nations from Pacific Rim fell in a standoff with power politics. The Summit Meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation delivered Leaders’ Declaration, which sent no clear message for regional security or international trade. Asia-Pacific world is growingly divided in two.

One of the most important issues in APEC 2015 was how that traditional framework could address regional security. The summit meeting was held in the time when United States and China were struggling over the control on Spratly Islands in South China Sea. That sensitive theme was excluded from Leaders’ Declaration. China insisted on the nature of APEC, which had basically been an economic framework, and lobbied to the host nation, Philippine not to raise the issue in the declaration.

U.S. delegation avoided being caught with sharp opposition against China. Instead, it focused on bilateral diplomacy with Asia-Pacific nations. On the first day in Manila, President Barack Obama visited Philippine navy vessels supplied by U.S. To the Philippine that were suffering from unilateral advance of China, Obama promised two more vessels to Philippine and $250 million of expenditure for maritime security in Southeast Asian nations for next two years. Consecutive summit meeting with close nations including Japan, Australia or Canada demonstrated containment policy against China.

Leaders’ Declaration included only a few words about American-led trade framework, Trans-Pacific Partnership. “We note the recent development on the free trade agreements in the region and the progress of the possible Pathways to the FTAAP including the finalization of Trans-pacific Partnership negotiations,” said the declaration. For APEC, TPP was one of the ways to reach FTAAP and the declaration only noted recent overwhelming agreement of TPP. China had been making every effort to degrade the trade pact.

China and Russia have been negative on the greater influence of America on the region and promote Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Asia-Pacific region looks like divided between developed nations like U.S., Japan, Canada or Australia and other countries with shared interest, namely Philippine and Vietnam. Some nations economically dependent on emerging China are hesitant in following American leadership.

For APEC, terrorism is only the adhesive for the parties. “Under the shadow cast by the terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and against Russian aircraft over the Sinai, and elsewhere, we strongly condemn all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism in all their forms and manifestations,” noted the declaration. But, it is still unclear what they are going to do to fight terrorism.