APEC Leaders Divided on Ukraine, Gaza Wars, Back WTO Reform

US President Joe Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong and Philippines' President Bongbong Marcos take part in a family photo during an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, US, November 16, 2023. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong and Philippines' President Bongbong Marcos take part in a family photo during an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, US, November 16, 2023. (Reuters)
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APEC Leaders Divided on Ukraine, Gaza Wars, Back WTO Reform

US President Joe Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong and Philippines' President Bongbong Marcos take part in a family photo during an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, US, November 16, 2023. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong and Philippines' President Bongbong Marcos take part in a family photo during an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, US, November 16, 2023. (Reuters)

Pacific Rim leaders showed divisions over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza after a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Friday, although they pledged support for reform of the World Trade Organization.

Days of meetings involving APEC ministers and leaders were dominated by a summit on Wednesday between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at cooling tensions between the world's two largest economies, which have alarmed the region.

The 21 APEC members, which include Russia and Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia, went into the meetings divided over Russia's war in Ukraine and the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza, and that is how they left them.

A statement issued by this year's APEC chair, the United States, echoed last year's APEC leaders' declaration in saying that "most" APEC members "strongly condemn aggression against Ukraine."

It said the leaders exchanged views on the Gaza crisis, with some objecting to language of the chair's statement in an accompanying "Golden Gate Declaration" covering economic issues "on the basis that they do not believe that APEC is a forum to discuss geopolitical issues."

Some APEC leaders shared the united messages of the Nov. 11 joint Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the chair's statement said.

Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia in a joint statement said they were among the APEC leaders who supported the messages of the Riyadh summit, which had called for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defense.

The three countries also called for an "immediate, durable and sustained" humanitarian truce, and for the unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians in Gaza.

‘Free, open, fair investment environment’

The APEC leaders' declaration reaffirmed their determination "to deliver a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive, and predictable trade and investment environment."

"We are committed to necessary reform of the WTO to improve all of its functions, including conducting discussions with a view to having a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024," it said.

Despite the frictions over the Ukraine and Middle East wars, the Sino-US talks will have brought some relief to APEC members concerned by a worsening trajectory in the rivalry between the superpowers, which are also the world's largest economies.

The Biden-Xi summit brought agreements to resume military-to-military communications and work to curb fentanyl production, showing some tangible progress in the first face-to-face talks in a year between the two, but no major reset in their strategic rivalry.

Xi appeared to achieve his aims, earning US concessions in exchange for promises of cooperation, an easing of bilateral tensions that will allow more focus on economic growth, and a chance to woo foreign investors who increasingly shun China.

Biden, addressing the other APEC leaders on Friday, urged them to work together to ensure that artificial intelligence brings change for the better, rather than abusing workers or limiting potential.

The US-China signal

Biden used the APEC summit to highlight the strong US economy and its ties to other Pacific nations, even as his vision for greater regional cooperation to counter China's influence stumbled on the trade front over his bid to strengthen workers' rights.

The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, told Reuters the Biden-Xi meeting was a badly needed signal that the world needs to cooperate more and a positive sign for cooperation on global challenges, especially climate change.

Much US-China tension is linked to democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims at its own, and the issue has raised fears of a conflict between the superpowers.

Taiwan's APEC envoy, semiconductor magnate Morris Chang, told a news conference on Friday he believed the Biden-Xi summit had been a "good meeting."

He said he had informal interactions with Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of APEC, but not with Xi.

As it competes with China for influence, Biden's administration has vowed to continue negotiating an ambitious Asia trade deal as part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework it created as a forum for engagement after then-President Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact in 2017.

However, election-year pressures and resistance to tough commitments from some countries make a deal unlikely, trade experts and business groups say.



Saudi Vision Drives Localization, Reduces Unemployment to 7%

A glimpse of a recent job fair held in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of a recent job fair held in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Vision Drives Localization, Reduces Unemployment to 7%

A glimpse of a recent job fair held in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of a recent job fair held in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Since the launch of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 in 2016, the Kingdom has focused on a clear goal: building a diversified and sustainable economy, reducing its dependence on oil, and investing in the potential of its citizens.

Nearly nine years of continuous effort later, the results today reflect a new reality, showcasing the success of Vision 2030 in transforming ambitions into tangible achievements, particularly in the labor market and the empowerment of national talent.

Saudi Arabia's unemployment rate for nationals has dropped to its lowest level, registering 7% in 2024, achieving the Vision 2030 target ahead of schedule. This marks a significant achievement, considering that tackling unemployment was one of the strategic document's top priorities.

The sharp decline is largely attributed to a substantial rise in Saudi women's participation in the labor market, which reached 36%, driven by a series of social and economic reforms. These initiatives have reshaped the role of women in development, opening vast opportunities in education, the workforce, and leadership positions.

Vision 2030 initially aimed to raise women's labor force participation to 30% by 2030. With this target already surpassed a decade early, the goal has now been revised to 40% by 2030, reflecting the effectiveness of national policies in enhancing workforce localization and leveraging Saudi talent.

Historically, Saudi Arabia's labor market has been heavily reliant on the public sector. However, Vision 2030 has driven a shift toward the private sector, with the number of Saudi nationals employed there rising from 1.7 million in 2020 to over 2.4 million in 2024.

In 2024 alone, 437,000 citizens were hired in the private sector, supported by more than 7.5 billion riyals ($1.9 billion) from the Human Resources Development Fund for training, qualification, and career guidance programs. This reflects the government's commitment to preparing a generation capable of adapting to the demands of the evolving job market.

These figures are not only significant in statistical terms, but also serve as a clear indicator of the fundamental transformation driven by Vision 2030 in the national economy. The vision has made empowerment, diversity, and sustainability key pillars in Saudi Arabia's path toward the future.