President Gabriel Boric concludes participation in APEC 2022 by announcing achievements

Declaration of the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, on concluding his participation in APEC. 

Good morning to you all: 

Today, we conclude a successful international tour as part of the APEC Leaders’ Summit, in which leaders from 21 economies participated. 

This is a transcendental space for Chile, given that close to 70% of our trade takes place with APEC member economies. 

Here in Thailand, the central message that we wanted to convey on behalf of all Chileans is that our country is serious and economically reliable, and that it is recovering from the economic and social effects of the pandemic in a fair and sustainable way. 

At the same time, it is a country that wants to contribute to solving global problems, opening discussions to establish progressive international rules that balance world trade with policies in favor of development and just ecological transition; in short, conveying the idea that Chile needs the world, and that the world needs Chile. The Chile that we are all building together. 

I want to be very clear about the achievements we have made on this tour, so that the Chilean people know what we have been doing these last few days. 

Firstly, we are very pleased to have participated in the APEC 2022 Thailand Summit, which has brought leaders together in-person for the first time in four years, under Thailand’s leadership. At this summit, the forum’s 21 member economies have achieved great results, even more so bearing in mind the global geopolitical and economic context. We have agreed on the Leaders’ Declaration and the Joint Ministerial Statement, and signed the Bangkok Goals Declaration. 

We have also held meetings with leaders of the main economies that have links with Chile within the APEC framework. Importantly, I met with the President of China, Xi Jinping, where we reviewed our bilateral relationship, highlighting the progress made on trade, climate change, cultural exchange, scientific cooperation and technological development, with a focus on sustainability. 

Chile was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China and, since 2016, we have maintained a comprehensive strategic partnership. This means working towards common interests, focused on reinforcing priority areas on the agendas of both countries and expanding traditional areas of cooperation. Our long-term vision promotes innovation and progress, especially in the scientific and technological fields, in order to continue developing favorable and conducive conditions for attracting investment. 

We must continue to strengthen the ties that unite us, not only in terms of trade, but also by expanding its field of action to foster and promote a wide range of cultural initiatives, especially considering our interest in continuing to establish links with the Asia-Pacific region. In this sense, we reaffirm our determination to continue developing initiatives for cooperation focused on innovation, sustainable development and opportunities to expand cultural exchange between both nations. 

Furthermore, during our meeting, President Xi Jinping invited me to pay an official visit to China during the coming year. 

In addition to this meeting, I had the opportunity to talk with other leaders and promote investment. Canada, Australia, Japan and Vietnam are all countries with which we maintain active trade, and that have told me they will continue to invest in Chile, a country that they view very well. I also spoke with the director of the International Monetary Fund, whom I thanked for the work we are doing together. 

In another area, and another of this tour’s achievements, I can tell you that in a few days’ time, Chile will sign a Supplementary Protocol on Services with Indonesia, a country that is also a member of APEC. This protocol will allow both countries to mutually serve as export and import platforms for the flow of services in their respective regions. In this context, Indonesia will be able to benefit from new trade opportunities arising from Chile’s extensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) network and close economic ties with the rest of Latin America. On the other hand, Chile will benefit from Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia. 

We have also managed to promote modifications to the dispute resolution mechanisms within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

As is already public knowledge, both Mexico and New Zealand have informed us that they will sign a bilateral agreement with us (“Side Letter”) to nullify the dispute resolution mechanism. This will give Chile greater sovereignty to make productive and social public policies. 

We also signed an agreement with Canada, in which they undertake to review the FTA that is in force and promote a modification to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) mechanism with us. 

This tour, which I have taken accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Antonia Urrejola and International Economic Relations Undersecretary José Miguel Ahumada, concludes the work of almost a year of preparation for this summit. I want to congratulate the teams from our country, who have done a professional job and managed to hold the name of Chile up high. 

Innovative entrepreneurs from our country, such as Constanza Levican, Alejandra Mustakis and Juan Enrique Rassmuss, also came with us on this trip. Chile’s representatives to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Ramón Jara and Mónica Retamal, are also in Thailand. 

They all contributed to holding the name of Chile up high, and to convey the central message: Chile is part of the world, and we are making progress towards having a more prosperous and inclusive country and planet. 

Source: Presidency Press