U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DISPATCH SUPPLEMENT VOLUME 5, NUMBER 9, NOVEMBER 1994 TRIP OF PRESIDENT CLINTON & SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER TO EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC AND THE APEC MEETINGS, NOVEMBER 7-18, 1994 PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Trip of President Clinton and Secretary Christopher to East Asia and the Pacific and the APEC Meetings November 7-18, 1994 ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Building Security and Prosperity at Home and Abroad -- President Clinton 2. APEC: A Force for Growth and Integration -- Secretary Christopher, Commerce Secretary Brown, U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor 3. Transforming the APEC Vision Into Reality -- Secretary Christopher 4. The U.S.-Philippines Partnership -- President Clinton, Philippine President Ramos 5. The United States and APEC: Making Real a Common Vision -- President Clinton 6. Expanding Opportunities for U.S. Businesses Abroad -- Secretary Christopher 7. U.S.-Asia Economic Engagement in the 21st Century -- President Clinton 8. The U.S. and Thailand: Partners in an Asia-Pacific Community -- Secretary Christopher 9. A Human Resources Development Framework For the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation: Declaration 10. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting: Joint Statement 11. APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration of Common Resolve 12. Clinton Administration Secures Contracts for U.S. Firms ARTICLE 1: Building Security and Prosperity At Home and Abroad President Clinton Remarks before departure to the Philippines and Indonesia, Washington, DC, November 11, 1994 Good morning. I want to speak with you for just a few moments before I leave for the Philippines and Indonesia. From the beginning of our Administration, we have worked to build greater security for America, to spread prosperity and democracy around the globe, and to usher in a new age of open markets. We are tearing down the old walls which have existed for so long between domestic and foreign policy in our country--forging a strong recovery here at home by expanding opportunities for Americans around the world. We are pursuing this strategy because it is clearly in the best interest of our people and because it offers the best opportunity for them to acquire the kind of security for their families that so many millions of Americans are still struggling to achieve. The ultimate goal is to produce a strong America--a strong America in terms of national security and national defense, but also in terms of stronger families, better education, more high-wage jobs, and safer streets. Strong at home and strong abroad: two sides of the same coin. The United States is in a better economic position today than any other nation in the world to compete and win in the global economy. Our work force is the most productive in the world. Our economy has produced more than 5 million jobs in the last 22 months and, finally, this year, high- wage jobs are coming back into this economy--more new high- wage jobs this year than in the previous five years combined. But it is not enough. Too many Americans--millions and millions of them--still find the present and the future uncertain and unsettling, with stagnant wages, benefits at risk, and an uncertainty about the future of their jobs. We simply must turn insecurity about our future into confidence. The American people do best when they are confident, outward looking, and working together. This strategy must include breaking down trade barriers, opening markets, and increasing our exports because export- related jobs pay significantly more on the average than those that are not related to exports. In the coming weeks, we will have the opportunity to put into place three crucial building blocks of this strategy--by working with Congress to pass the GATT agreement, by strengthening our ties to the dynamic economies of the Asia-Pacific region, and by continuing to forge a partnership for peace and prosperity here in our own hemisphere. For decades, we have concentrated our international economic efforts on the mature and strong economies of Europe and Japan. They will remain our close allies, our key competitors, and our critical markets. The new century demands a new strategy and that is where this trip fits into the picture. Last year in Seattle, I brought together 14 leaders of the APEC economies. We met for the first time and arrived at a common vision of a new, and more open, Asia-Pacific community. Next week in Jakarta, I hope the leaders will embrace a common direction toward that vision, setting a goal for free and open trade among all our countries and agreeing on a process to get there. In my visit to the Philippines and my meetings in Jakarta, I will also stress our continuing commitment to promote security and democracy throughout Asia and the Pacific region. We will discuss how to strengthen important bilateral relationships, create stronger regional security structures, and how to rapidly and effectively implement the agreement for a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. No problem is more important to the United States and its allies than stopping the proliferation of nuclear materials and weapons in general and, specifically, ending North Korea's nuclear program. I will also use these meetings to talk about the advancement of human rights, worker rights, and democratic values. We must continue to pursue this path with patience, persistence, and determination. Two other crucial events will follow this trip to Asia: the Summit of the Americas in Miami with 33 other democratically elected leaders from the Caribbean and Latin America, and the congressional vote on GATT. GATT is the largest and most advantageous trade agreement in our history. The congressional vote will be a defining decision for our economy and our working people well into the next century. I believe both parties will come together to vote for open markets, free and fair trade, and, most importantly, more high-wage jobs for the American people. This week, the American people told us--all of us here in Washington--to work together, to put politics aside to create a stronger and more secure America. This trip to Asia and the other events of the next six weeks give us a unique opportunity to join hands and do just that. By reaching across oceans and borders we can help to build peace and prosperity around the world and more security and prosperity for our own people here at home. Thank you very much. (###) ARTICLE 2: APEC: A Force for Growth And Integration Secretary Christopher, Commerce Secretary Brown, U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor Opening remarks at a press conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 12, 1994 Secretary Christopher. I wanted to put into perspective some of the achievements of this week's ministerial meeting, as well as to indicate to you the significance of next week's Leaders' Meeting at Bogor--significance for APEC itself, and for the entire region. APEC has made extraordinary strides in the last five years. Five years ago there were just 12 members, and the future of APEC, I think, was far from certain. Today, 18 members strong, APEC has come alive as an economic force, a force for growth and integration throughout this region. I think it is poised to become a key building block in the future of this region. Under President Clinton's leadership last year at Blake Island near Seattle, the APEC leaders articulated a vision for the future, a vision of promoting regional growth and unleashing the dynamism of businesses and individuals in this area. During the last year, we have been working hard trying to transform this vision into reality. This year, Secretary Brown, Ambassador Kantor, and I presented the ministerial with three specific proposals that promise to help unleash the ability of individuals and businesses in this region to provide jobs and economic growth. Our first proposal was to create an Asia-Pacific Business Forum that would provide a permanent channel for private businesses in this area to feed into APEC's work and to assist the APEC ministers. Second, we proposed a meeting of transportation ministers, to take place in the United States, to examine the vast infrastructure needs that this region has. Third, we proposed the establishment of an APEC Educational Foundation--a non-profit corporation to coordinate all of APEC's education and human resource development activities, activities that will help economic ideas move across the boundaries of this vast region. We found very strong support for each of these initiatives among the APEC members. Each is reflected in the APEC communique, and I think APEC will be working hard on these three matters during the course of the next year. I also used the occasion to call the ministers' attention to a subject not formally on the agenda, but of great importance; that is approval of the GATT Uruguay Round. The APEC nations share an enormous stake in the agreement's approval. I must tell you, I believe each representative of the nations here who spoke to me about it indicated they are looking to the United States to approve GATT so the region can continue on the pattern of economic growth. That is one of the messages I will take back to the United States with me--the reliance that the nations of this region have on the United States to provide leadership in moving forward with GATT ratification. I told them of President Clinton's determination to ratify GATT and my own strong confidence that the United States Congress will ratify GATT after the debates are over and the votes are in. I strongly believe that the regional promise of APEC can build upon the global benefits to be gained by GATT ratification. President Soeharto's bold call for open and free trade in this region by a set date is something we strongly endorse, and we are looking toward the leaders to achieve a historic breakthrough in this regard. I think we prepared the way in our ministerial meetings for the leaders to make next week's Leaders' Meeting a truly landmark event in open trade in this region. Finally, I use the occasion of this ministerial to reaffirm the determination of the United States to maintain our engagement in the Pacific. We will remain a Pacific power. We will maintain our military strength and stand by our security commitments in the region with five very important treaty alliances. We want to sustain the momentum begun at Blake Island--continue it in Bogor--momentum toward a Pacific Community of shared values, shared prosperity, and shared security interests. I think President Clinton and his heads-of-state colleagues can make real history next week, and I believe we have momentum in that direction. Thank you very much. Secretary Brown. Secretary Christopher has spoken effectively for both Ambassador Kantor and me. Let me just add a very brief comment. President Clinton has, from the very beginning of his Administration, made economic growth and creation of jobs in the United States his priority. That really is what our attendance and participation here at this ministerial meeting has been all about. It seems clear to me that this ministerial has made APEC stronger. We are clearly on the right track and are very pleased with the results of our deliberations here. There is no question that this region has extraordinary potential and that we cannot talk convincingly or act convincingly about economic growth and job creation in the United States without looking to the Asia-Pacific region. APEC gives us a vehicle to advance the commercial interests of all of our nations; that is why we are so pleased with the results of our discussions. I was particularly pleased with the new focus on private sector involvement. It seems clear to us that a public- private partnership is absolutely essential to moving forward in our effort to create an environment for economic growth and job creation. It cannot be done without private sector involvement. It seems to me having government officials not only interacting with, but listening to, private sector leaders are certainly very important and effective ways to accomplish our goals. I think a focus--which was a new one--on small- and medium- sized enterprises is a good focus. As many of our larger companies, particularly in the United States, go through down- sizing, we will become more productive and more competitive. Growth opportunities really exist with small- and medium-sized enterprises, and having their involvement and having APEC focus on creating opportunities for those firms, I think, is equally important. Finally, it seems clear that economic engagement--that commercial engagement that works can help not only in our bilateral relationships, to overcome problems and obstacles that exist, but it helps us in a multilateral context as well. So we could not be more pleased with the results the ministerial has just accomplished. Ambassador Kantor. Thank you Secretary Christopher, Secretary Brown. I have a couple of comments to add. First, to thank our Indonesian hosts, to recognize Congressman Minetta and Ambassador Mondale who have been-- [inaudible]--in helping us put this trade agenda together, and our officials who did such fine work in making these meetings such a great success. We are in the middle of our- -last year was a hat trick without a National Hockey League season. At least we can have a hat trick in trade between the successful APEC meetings here, the Uruguay Round vote which we believe will be successful November 29 and December 1 in the House and Senate, and the Summit of the Americas in Miami December 9 through 11. Truly, President Clinton's vision of opening markets and expanding trade is becoming a reality. The two areas we are dealing with--the Summit of the Americas and APEC--will represent well over half of U.S. exports as we go into the next century. These are the two fastest growing regions in the world, and they represent a dynamic increase in industrialization, a rise in the middle class, and markets for our companies and for American workers. (###) ARTICLE 3: Transforming the APEC Vision Into Reality Secretary Christopher Intervention at the APEC Ministerial, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 11, 1994 Minister Hartarto, Excellencies, colleagues, and friends: It is a pleasure to join you at this sixth ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Let me take this opportunity to welcome Chile as APEC's newest and second Latin American member and to welcome Foreign Minister Insulza to this meeting. Let me also express deep appreciation and thanks to our Indonesian hosts. President Soeharto, Minister Alatas, Minister Hartarto, and their colleagues have done a superb job in preparing the ambitious agenda for this meeting and in sustaining the momentum achieved last year in Seattle and at Blake Island. President Soeharto's leadership is giving APEC a vitality that reflects and reinforces the dynamic qualities of this great region. APEC has made extraordinary strides since its inception just five years ago. Then, APEC included just 12 of the region's economies; today, it embraces 18. From Sydney and Seoul on the western rim of the Pacific to San Francisco and Santiago on its eastern shore, APEC has become an important vehicle for opening markets and expanding economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. APEC's progress toward regional trade and investment liberalization can be a model for the open global trading system of the 21st century. We live in a time when a company in Jakarta can start with capital from Hong Kong and New York, make a product designed in Osaka or Seattle with parts from Pusan and Detroit, market and advertise that product with firms based in Singapore and Los Angeles, and sell it all over the world. That company--and the global economy as a whole--cannot thrive if we permit trade barriers to drive a wedge between supply and demand. We know that high-wage jobs and economic growth depend on the unimpeded movement of goods, services, capital, and information. For the United States, free and open trade is more than an economic imperative. President Clinton has made the pursuit of global economic growth and trade expansion a centerpiece of American foreign policy. It is an investment in a more stable and integrated world, in which open societies are linked and invigorated by open markets. Around the world we can see the power of commerce to build bridges between economies and bonds between peoples. Witness the post-war transformation of Western Europe, where nations long divided by competing interests have built a lasting partnership on a bedrock of economic cooperation. Look to the Middle East, where last week's summit in Casablanca demonstrated a commitment to build economic ties in support of peace. The Asia-Pacific tells the same story: The remarkable growth in trade among our nations has not only been the foundation for post-war development but also a force for stability across the entire region. The United States was pleased to host last year's APEC meetings in Seattle and Blake Island. President Clinton was personally determined to make them a success. He understood that the security and prosperity of the United States in the coming century will be shaped in large measure by the stability and success of the Asia-Pacific region. He recognized APEC's potential to boost prosperity in the most dynamic, fastest-growing part of the global economy. That is why, last November, President Clinton invited the APEC leaders to come together at Blake Island to articulate a common vision for the Asia-Pacific community. The leaders recognized "an opportunity to build a new economic foundation for the Asia-Pacific that harnesses the energy of our diverse economies, strengthens cooperation, and promotes prosperity." Years from now, our people may well look back on Blake Island as a defining moment in the history of the Asia- Pacific--a moment when leaders of this extraordinarily diverse region began to form a common identity and purpose. Our challenge is to transform that vision into reality. We must now implement the Blake Island vision. If we take concrete steps to advance that vision over the next week in Indonesia and in the coming years, we can seize a historic opportunity to lift the lives and living standards of all our people. The Blake Island vision is one of regional growth, driven by the dynamism of individuals and enterprises. It is a vision of regional integration, of bridges built across national boundaries, and of barriers removed between economies. It is a vision of open regionalism that can lead the global economy into the next century. Without becoming a bureaucracy itself, APEC can help get bureaucracy out of the way of business and can promote the free flow of goods, services, capital, and ideas across the ocean of opportunity that is the Pacific. Over the last year, we have begun to lay the building blocks of an integrated Asia-Pacific community by implementing the leaders' Blake Island initiatives. We have begun to make transparent regional and national regulations, to make clear the rules of the road for doing business in Asia. We have brought business leaders together with senior government officials to promote trade and investment, which are the lifeblood of the region. From the Philippines' technology proposal for small business to the Japanese-led dialogue on energy and the environment, the leaders' initiatives are helping to advance regional trade and investment and to sustain economic growth. These are the kind of practical steps that do not make headlines, but businessmen and -women understand that these are the keys to unleashing their ability to provide jobs and economic growth throughout the Asia-Pacific marketplace. I want to make a brief progress report in particular on the three Blake Island initiatives advanced by the United States. -- The Pacific Business Forum, which was proposed by President Clinton to provide a formal channel for private sector advice, issued the first business sector blueprint for APEC last month. The real test of APEC's success will be whether or not its work has practical relevance to the business community-- whether it removes barriers to trade and fosters a competitive marketplace. The United States extends its appreciation to the PBF and commends its report to this ministerial. The PBF report contains a range of ambitious proposals, including specific recommendations on open trade; infrastructure development; harmonizing regulations, customs, and standards; telecommunications network; support for small and medium business; and human resources development. The APEC governments should very carefully consider these recommendations to ensure that our work is relevant to business concerns. -- In March, in accordance with our suggestion, Treasury Secretary Bentsen hosted the first-ever meeting of APEC Finance Ministers in Honolulu. Ministers agreed to examine the management of the region's vast capital markets. They also agreed to work with international financial institutions to facilitate regional capital flows and project financing. -- In May in Seattle, we launched our Blake Island recommendation for an APEC Leaders' Education Initiative. Twelve American universities and institutions have formed the U.S. APEC Study Center Consortium and plan to open study centers and programs this fall. At least nine other countries are also establishing centers. These study centers will allow experts from the entire region to share ideas and information on the promotion of economic activity. Building on last year's APEC initiatives, President Soeharto has identified several vital priorities for APEC this year-- developing human resources, supporting small and medium- sized enterprises, building infrastructure, and deepening the private sector's role in APEC. In this regard, I am presenting three initial specific proposals that build on the progress made over the last year. Each is consistent with our ministerial objectives and the priorities Indonesia has set for this year. The United States is pleased that Indonesia has identified increasing private sector participation as one of APEC's key challenges. The litmus test for APEC's success is whether its work has practical relevance to the business community. Accordingly, my first proposal is to create a permanent Asia- Pacific Business Forum. An Asia-Pacific Business Forum could provide invaluable advice on business priorities and help us gauge the efficiency of our efforts to expand trade and investment. It could review APEC's work throughout the year, strengthen private sector participation in the working groups, and meet annually to provide ministers with specific advice. It could also expand business networks in the region. My second proposal is designed to address this region's massive infrastructure demands. We can see the strains in the transportation sector, where tremendous growth in traffic has outpaced existing capacity. Transportation networks are the arteries of trade. We need to make sure they flow smoothly. To support work already under way, I propose a meeting of our transportation ministers. Such a ministerial could recommend how to use existing facilities more efficiently and accelerate further development. I am pleased to say that Secretary of Transportation Frederico Pena offers to host such a meeting in the United States. The private sector would be invited as well. My third proposal is to establish an APEC education foundation. The foundation would be a nonprofit organization funded by voluntary private contributions. It could serve as a coordination point for all of APEC's educational and human resource development activities, and it would complement the ministers' Declaration of a Human Resources Development Framework. To advance the education initiative, I am pleased to announce that the U.S. APEC Study Center Consortium and the American private sector are offering to set up an APEC-wide, multi-media telecommunications network. Linked by telephones, computers, modems, and videos, we could further shrink the distance that separates our people. Data and ideas--already exchanged at breathtaking speed--would have an even wider reach. Scholars in Singapore could collaborate more easily with colleagues in Chile. Mexican graduate students could hold video-teleconferences with Chinese peers. Ultimately, integration requires opening borders, not just to goods and capital, but to ideas. This network can energize a new era of intellectual integration. These initiatives will bring us closer to a region in which business people are comfortable in Kansas City and Kuala Lumpur; a region in which air routes are expanded, facilities modernized, and transportation bottlenecks broken; and a region in which students communicate from Manila to Atlanta by phone, fax, and electronic mail, for the Pacific community is in many ways a global community. Our region spans more than a dozen time zones. It includes large and small economies--industrial and developing-- together accounting for half the world's output. Our people reflect many religions, cultures, and traditions--40% of the world's population. In short, our cooperation has unparalleled potential. Beyond these specific initiatives, we must harness the region's potential to deal with broader regional and global challenges. Many cooperative efforts are underway. The United States is working closely with Japan to address concerns like environmental degradation, population growth, and the spread of infectious disease. We are studying biodiversity and climate prediction with Indonesia. We are beginning to work with China on protecting the environment. At Blake Island, the leaders recognized that APEC can provide an important platform for intensified cooperation on environmental issues. APEC environmental ministers began heeding that call to action at their meeting in Vancouver last spring. The ministers agreed that sound environmental and economic policies are interlocking--and that preventing environmental degradation is essential to sustainable development. The United States supports their goal for a strategic approach to integrate environmental considerations into APEC's work. One area for immediate cooperation is to encourage use of the latest environmental protection techniques and technology. As a follow-up to the environment ministerial, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making a systematic effort to promote greater awareness of clean production techniques. These range from pineapple production in the Philippines to water recycling in the photographic industry in Canada. Increased use of technologies that make both economic and environmental sense would be a valuable concrete step by APEC members in addressing global environmental concerns. I want to conclude by calling our attention to an issue not formally on our agenda, yet essential to our collective prosperity: approval of the GATT Uruguay Round agreement. Implementing the agreement will boost global growth by an estimated $5 trillion over the next 10 years. Forty percent of this growth will occur in the Asia-Pacific. It is clear that our nations share an enormous stake in the Round's ratification. The United States recognized its responsibility to ratify the Uruguay Round by the end of this year. President Clinton is determined to achieve this result. I am confident that when the debate is over and the votes are cast, the United States Congress will once again choose trade, growth, and jobs. One year ago, less than a month before the deadline, APEC members stepped forward to ensure the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round. Once again, we are facing a deadline to act. Once again, APEC must lead. As great trading powers, we share great responsibilities. We have a golden opportunity to help construct the architecture of a more prosperous, more integrated world. President Soeharto recognized that in order to fulfill the vision of Blake Island, we need to take bold political action. The United States applauds President Soeharto's leadership in support of free and open trade in the Asia- Pacific region. This goal will accelerate the momentum toward regional integration and fuel the dynamism of our economies. That greater prosperity will in turn be a boost to stability and cooperation across the region. As ministers, we have an essential role to play. Our challenge is to develop specific steps that will fulfill our leaders' vision. That has been the core of our work over the last year, and it will be the core of our work leading to our next meeting in Japan. The actions we take in areas such as customs standards and telecommunications will help us reach our broad goal of open and free trade. We all understand that the APEC economies are at different stages of development. We know there are sharp contrasts among our economic structures and our political systems. But we also know that increasingly open trade is making each of our economies grow and allowing our people to prosper. We know that trade and investment liberalization is the proven path to growth, and we share the conviction that APEC must guide us along that path. Blake Island crystallized our aspirations. Bogor will channel our commitment to make them real. (###) ARTICLE 4: The U.S.-Philippines Partnership President Clinton, Philippine President Ramos Remarks following bilateral meeting, Manila, Philippines, November 13, 1994 President Ramos. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today, President Clinton and I took concrete steps toward enhancing Philippine-American relations. During our bilateral meeting I expressed my sincere appreciation to President Clinton for the substantial participation of the United States' armed forces three weeks ago in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Leyte landing. Our meeting this afternoon enabled us to discuss a wide range of issues, with direct import on our bilateral relations and the peace and stability of the Pacific. I acknowledged our debt of gratitude to America's commitment, to America's strength, and to America keeping faith with her ideals and values in such areas as Haiti, the Persian Gulf, and the Korean Peninsula. We both agreed to build our partnership on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, reinforced by our common commitment to democracy and the rule of law. President Clinton and I recognize the value of enhancing the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and reiterated our commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflict. We agreed that only under such conditions can the full economic growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region be realized. I assured President Clinton that the Philippines will continue to support the peace-keeping initiatives of the United States and the United Nations, as we recently have manifested by dispatching to Haiti an initial contingent of 50 international police monitors--IPs--from this country. I also congratulated him for the United States' role in the series of breakthrough agreements for peace and development in the Middle East and in the Korean Peninsula which has lifted our hopes for its eventual denuclearization. I have been assured, in turn, by President Clinton that they will encourage a higher level of investment by Americans. I also acknowledged his government's support for our bid to attain newly industrializing country--NIC--status by the turn of the century. We further agreed to find ways and means to improve our two-way trade. The United States continues to be our number-one trading partner, and we believe that we can greatly expand our trade by the further lowering of trade barriers. To accelerate trade liberalization, President Clinton and I agreed on the urgency of the ratification of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by member countries. I assured him of the Philippines' commitment to trade liberalization and investment facilitation, which must be accompanied by conditions of national stability and political will. We also agreed that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation-- APEC--leaders' summit in Indonesia will be a landmark forum that will shape the future course of the economy of the entire Asia-Pacific area and, indeed, of the world. We both affirmed the value of the Philippines-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty--the MDT--and its contribution to regional security and stability. We agreed that our joint exercises, which are planned by the Mutual Defense Board, should be continued to ensure the interopera-bility of military units. I appreciate President Clinton's effort to help resolve the longstanding issue of the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II with the United States Government. Even as I acknowledged the concern of leading members of the U.S. Congress for the restoration of Filipino veterans' rights, I welcome these assurances that the United States will work hand in hand with the Philippine Government in helping to promote the welfare of Amerasians in the Philippines. President Clinton and I renewed our commitment to the protection of the environment and the preservation of the world ecological balance. Lastly, I reiterated my appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality extended by President Clinton and the American people during my visit to the United States last year. We look forward to moving the Philippines-United States partnership to a higher and more mutually beneficial level in the years to come. Thank you very much. Salamat. President Clinton. Thank you very much. First, let me thank President Ramos for the warm welcome that the U.S. delegation has received here in the Philippines. We had a very good bilateral discussion in which the President expressed the Philippine position and the interests of the Filipino people very articulately on a large number of issues. I would like to point out, in general, that during the last 50 years, the relationship between the United States and the Philippines has changed, has grown, and has matured; but we are still very much bound together in ways that I think are positive. There are, after all, more than 100,000 Americans who make their home here permanently, and in the United States there are about 1.5 million Americans of Philippine ancestry. We admire your democracy and we have especially admired all the things that have been done in the last eight years. We have an important security relationship. You heard the President talk about the joint exercises. I also was able to inform President Ramos that the United States soon will be able to supply the Philippine armed forces with two C- 130s, and that we will continue to discuss the possibility of shared equipment to build up the strength and the security of the Philippine armed forces. We talked about regional security in general, and I want to again publicly thank President Ramos for the support that he has given to the agreement we have reached in cooperation with the South Koreans and the Japanese with North Korea, in which North Korea has agreed to become a non-nuclear state and to remove the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I also thanked President Ramos for the participation of the Philippines in our remarkable international coalition in Haiti. Finally, we discussed our economic relationships. Most of what should be said has already been said by President Ramos, but let me say that I was deeply impressed when the President came to the United States and told me that his new policy was trade, not aid. That is a welcome message. The United States purchased $5 billion in products from the Philippines last year. We are the largest investor here. We like being the largest purchaser and the largest investor. This morning, the Secretary of State hosted a breakfast for leading American business interests here which I attended, and I pledged to the President I would do what I could to increase the interest of the American business community in investment in the Philippines. We both support GATT and hope that both of our legislative bodies will ratify it shortly. When I leave the APEC conference I am going home to achieve that objective, and I hope we do. I believe we will. We are going to APEC with a view toward continuing to break down the barriers to trade and investment. The United States will and must remain engaged in the Pacific region for security reasons and for economic reasons. One-third of our exports, supporting some 2 million American jobs, already go to the Asia-Pacific region. This is a very important thing for us. The fact that we have the sort of relationship we do and that both of us are now going to Indonesia to try to deepen the idea that we should be working together across the vast Pacific to support the prosperity and future of our respective people is a very important one indeed. So for all those reasons, I consider this to be a successful trip. Again, I thank the President for his kind hospitality and for his frank, open, and straightforward way of stating the positions of the Philippine Govern-ment and the Philippine people. Thank you. (###) ARTICLE 5: The United States and APEC: Making Real a Common Vision President Clinton Opening statements from news conferences, Jakarta, Indonesia November 14, 1994 I am very glad to be here in Indonesia for this APEC meeting. As I said before I left the United States, I am here because this opportunity for me to meet with leaders throughout this region can lead to more economic opportunities for Americans and a reduced threat of nuclear proliferation. Today, I had the opportunity to meet with President Jiang Zemin of China, Prime Minister Murayama of Japan, Prime Minister Keating of Australia, and President Kim of South Korea. The most important topic of our conversations was the situation on the Korean Peninsula. All the leaders indicated their strong support for the agreement we reached with North Korea to freeze and then to dismantle its ability to build nuclear weapons. All agreed on the importance of resuming the dialogue between North and South Korea. This agreement marks a historic step to freeze and, ultimately, to end the greatest security threat in this region. Prime Minister Murayama of Japan and South Korean President Kim agreed that we must maintain our close cooperation as we begin to implement the agreement. The three of us plan to meet briefly again later this evening to follow up on our earlier conversations. In all my meetings today, I made it clear that the fundamental interests of the United States and the Pacific remain unchanged. Each of the leaders welcomed the assurance that the United States will continue to exercise active leadership in the region. In each of the meetings today, there was also strong agreement that the early ratification of GATT would be absolutely essential to maintaining the climate that promotes global economic growth and expanding trade. I told each of the leaders that I would do everything that I could to pass the GATT, that Congress would come back soon and that I thought it would pass. It was clear to me that the rest of the world is looking to the United States for leadership on this issue. It is also clear to me--I will say again--that it is very much in our interest to pass GATT because it means more high-wage jobs for Americans. Finally, in each of the meetings we discussed the APEC Leaders' Meeting, which begins tonight. I expressed my strong support for the efforts of President Soeharto to build on the common vision of the Asia-Pacific community that we set forth at Seattle last year in the first of these Leaders' Meetings. This week's discussions, I believe, will allow us to take a critical step forward toward free and open trade throughout the region. After all, this is very important to the United States. Already, one-third of our exports go to the Asia- Pacific region; already, 2 million American jobs are tied to this region. This is the fastest-growing part of the world. So, it is very important that we proceed first, with GATT and second, with APEC so that we can continue the economic recovery at home and continue to provide increasing opportunities for our people. All these meetings today reinforced my beliefs that the United States is strong in the Asia-Pacific region; that we are getting stronger in this region; and that in so doing, we are strengthening Americans economically and in terms of our security. In short, we are moving in the right direction. This is a good investment; we need to make the most of it. November 15, 1994 Good evening--or good morning to the people who are watching this back in America. At our meeting in Bogor today, the Asia-Pacific leaders pledged to achieve free and fair trade and investment between our nations by the year 2020, with the industrialized countries reaching this goal by 2010. This agreement is good news for the countries of this region and, especially good news for the United States and our workers. I want to thank President Soeharto for hosting this meeting and for his leadership in crafting the agreement. When the United States brought the APEC leaders together in Seattle for the very first time last year, we agreed on a common vision of a united, open trading system. At this year's meeting, we have committed to make that vision real through free and fair trade, and to do it by a date certain. We will meet again next year in Osaka. Meanwhile, we will develop a detailed action agenda--a blueprint--for achieving our goal of free and fair trade, which I hope and believe will be approved when we meet in Osaka. APEC is primarily an economic organization, and today's talks focused on those issues. While I believe stronger trade ties also will lead to more open societies, I remain committed to pursuing our human rights agenda as I did in my individual meetings with the leaders this week. This is an agenda we must be willing to pursue with both patience and determination, and we will. From the beginning of this Administration, we have worked to create high-wage jobs and a high-growth economy for the 20th century by expanding our ability to trade with and do business with other nations. The Asia-Pacific region is key to the success of this strategy because it is the fastest- growing region in the world, with rapidly expanding middle classes who are potential American customers. Already, one- third of our exports go to these nations with 2 million American jobs tied to them. We know that export-related jobs, on average, pay much higher than regular jobs in America. These free and fair trade agreements will benefit Americans for a simple reason: Our nation already has the most open markets on earth. By opening other markets, our products and services become more competitive, and more sales abroad create more high-wage jobs at home. Under this agreement, individual APEC nations will have to tear down trade barriers to reap trade benefits. No country will get more in benefits than it gives--no free riders. Today's agreement will lower barriers even further than the historic GATT world trade agreement. Let me just give you one example. Even after the GATT world trade agreement takes effect, tariffs on American automobiles in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines will still be between 30% and 60%--lower than they are today but very high. By contrast, our tariffs on automobiles are 2.5%. The market in just these four countries alone in six years will be as great as the total market in Canada and Mexico combined. This APEC agreement will knock down Asian tariffs even further, and American autos will, therefore, be more affordable. That means for an auto worker in Detroit or Toledo more secure jobs and factories with more workers-- factories that are growing, not shrinking. I am proud of the leadership of the United States in creating a post-Cold War world that is both safer and more prosperous, a better place for Americans to live and work. Trade agreements like NAFTA, the GATT agreement, and now the Bogor Declaration, along with the Summit of the Americas next month, are important in their own way just as are the agreements we have made with the Russians and Ukraine on nuclear missiles, the North Korean nuclear agreement, and the agreement on missile deployments with China. I am convinced this declaration will prove to be of historic importance. Americans may hear about this declaration and think that 2010 is a long time to wait for any benefits. That is--let me emphasize--the completion date for the process. The benefits will begin for America as soon as we begin to implement the blueprint, which we will develop in this coming year. But, first things first. Our first meeting in Seattle last year created the conditions that helped make it possible to get agreement among the nations of the world on the GATT world trade agreement. Without the meeting in Seattle, we might well not have had a GATT agreement. Now, when we return to Washington, our first order of business must be for Congress to pass the GATT. Every leader I spoke with here asked me about U.S. leadership on GATT and on world trade issues generally. America's opportunities and our responsibilities demand a spirit of bipartisanship--especially when it comes to keeping our country strong abroad. That cooperation was demonstrated in the historic NAFTA victory and in the encouragement I received from the Republican leaders before I left for this trip. Now, I call upon the Congress--members of both parties--to use this momentum from this trip to pass the GATT. The economic recovery going on in our country and taking hold in the world depends upon the passage of GATT and our continued leadership. At the end of the Second World War, the United States had a bipartisan effort to create an enduring partnership with our allies that helped keep the peace and helped spawn an era of global prosperity that created enormous opportunities for the American people. Now, at the end of the Cold War, we are building a new framework for peace and prosperity that will take us into the future. It is imperative that the United States lead as we move toward this new century. That is our great opportunity, and that is the best way we can help all Americans toward a more prosperous future. (###) ARTICLE 6: Expanding Opportunities For U.S. Businesses Abroad Secretary Christopher Address before the Jakarta American Chamber of Commerce, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 15, 1994 Thank you for that kind introduction. It is a pleasure to be introduced by your American Chamber of Commerce President, Louis Clinton. It is not often that I get introduced by President Clinton. I am delighted to be here with B. Allan Sugg, the President of the University of Arkansas, and I am happy to see my fellow Californian, Congressman Norm Mineta. Although I always welcome the chance to meet with American business people when I travel abroad, this is an especially timely meeting. This morning, President Clinton and 17 other leaders of the APEC economies are gathering in Bogor for a historic summit. The President, my Cabinet colleagues Ron Brown, Mickey Kantor, and I are in Indonesia because we recognize that the United States has an immense and increasing stake in our economic engagement with this region. Thirty years ago, Asia accounted for only 4% of the world's economy. Now it accounts for 25%. Trade between the United States and Asia already supports 2.5 million American jobs. That number is sure to rise as American companies bid successfully on a projected $1 billion in Asian infrastructure contracts over the next decade. In very concrete ways, America's economic future lies in our Pacific future--a future of shared prosperity and stability across an ocean of opportunity. APEC APEC can help us shape that Pacific future. The APEC vision is one of growth driven by the dynamism of individuals and enterprises--a vision of bridges built across national boundaries and of barriers removed between economies, a vision of economic integration and cooperation. APEC has made extraordinary strides since its inception just five years ago. Then, APEC included just 12 of the Asia- Pacific economies. Today, it embraces 18. APEC has become an important vehicle for opening markets and expanding economic cooperation across the fastest-growing part of the global economy. The first-ever meeting of APEC leaders, which President Clinton convened last November at Blake Island, near Seattle, gave APEC stature and momentum. At last week's ministerial meetings, we took concrete steps to make APEC come alive. We agreed to move ahead in building infrastructure, supporting small- and medium-sized businesses, and developing human resources. We approved an APEC investment code that will begin the process of improving investment regimes across the region. We agreed to deepen the private sector's role in APEC. Without becoming a bureaucracy itself, APEC can help get bureaucracy out of the way of business. The United States proposed and our APEC colleagues widely supported three initiatives that will bring concrete benefits to American business: First, the establishment of a permanent "Asia-Pacific Business Forum" to provide direct private-sector guidance for APEC's work throughout the coming year and beyond. Second, a meeting of APEC transportation ministers and private-sector representatives to address the region's massive infrastructure demands. Third, the formation of an APEC Education Foundation--a non- profit corporation that could coordinate all of APEC's education and human resource development activities. As you know, President Soeharto has called for a political commitment to free trade in the Asia-Pacific region by the year 2020. The United States supports that bold proposal-- and we hope that the APEC leaders will reach consensus on it today. Adopting this goal would accelerate the region's integration and fuel the dynamism of its economies. It would open markets for American exports. And it would create a powerful impetus for trade liberalization around the globe. GATT Of course, the most immediate impetus to global liberalization is approval of the GATT Uruguay Round agreement. Its implementation will boost global growth by an estimated $5 trillion in the next 10 years. Its impact on American business in the Asia-Pacific--where 40% of that growth is likely to occur--will be far-reaching. It will open once-closed agricultural sectors in Japan and Korea. It will cut tariffs in Asia for major American exports such as construction equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical instruments, and it will help protect our intellectual property. The Uruguay Round agreement is complex. But in Asia and around the world, its results will be simple: the greatest reduction in tariffs and the greatest expansion of trade in history. I have been in Jakarta for nearly a week. I must tell you that in every APEC ministerial session and bilateral meeting, my foreign counterparts stressed to me the crucial importance of American ratification of the Uruguay Round agreement for continued global and regional economic growth. Passage of the agreement is a signal test of American leadership, and I will be bringing that message home to our Congress. We welcome recent statements of support by Republican leaders. I am confident that when Congress reconvenes later this month, it will renew the great bipartisan coalition of open trade and cast its vote for growth, jobs, and American engagement in the world. The enormous dividends of the Uruguay Round must not be deferred or denied. As President Clinton said last week, "Our prosperity depends on it." GATT and APEC are two of this Administration's efforts to expand opportunities globally and regionally for American business. But it is up to American business people to seize these opportunities--and you are. Every day, you and your colleagues are deepening our engagement in this region of fast change and explosive growth. You are creating export opportunities for American companies and jobs for American workers. You are finding the niches. You are cracking the markets--and there are few with more potential than Indonesia. Opportunities in Indonesia Today, after 25 years of sound economic policies and a stunning growth rate of more than 6% a year, Indonesia is taking its place among the dynamos of Southeast Asia. The manufacturing sector is expanding. Technology is advancing. Poverty is diminishing, the middle class is growing, and Indonesian living standards are rising. In Indonesia, as everywhere, free markets and open trade are the basic preconditions for business confidence and economic growth. But, sound economic policies alone do not guarantee a healthy, transparent business environment. The foundation of open economies--rights that protect contracts, property, and patents--can only be guaranteed over time by the rule of law. Open economies ultimately depend on open societies. The growing American business presence in Indonesia is playing an extremely constructive role. American exports to Indonesia have doubled since 1988. One of my messages to you today is that the United States Government, through the State Department, the Commerce Department, the EximBank, and OPIC are working hard together to help you expand opportunities and improve the environment for American business in Indonesia. In this connection, we are encouraging the Government of Indonesia to take additional steps to build on its recent progress in deregulating and liberalizing foreign investment requirements--and in protecting intellectual property rights. Leveling the Playing Field For U.S. Businesses In the not-too-distant past, the promotion of U.S. business interests abroad was rarely at the top of the diplomatic agenda. I believe that the Clinton Administration has changed that for good. From the most senior adviser to the most junior career officer, my colleagues at State know there is no higher priority than sitting behind what I call the "America Desk"--which is my shorthand for the job of not just promoting American business but also ensuring that our business people can compete and win on a level, fair, and open playing field. Let me mention one critical factor shaping that playing field. Last year, I spoke before the American Business Council in Singapore. Among the issues they raised with me was the problem of illicit payments. This is not just a regional problem; this is a global problem. The United States is now leading the fight against the bribery of foreign officials in international commerce. In response to an initiative I launched last October, the member nations of the OECD committed themselves to take "concrete and meaningful" steps to stop illicit payments by their firms. We have no illusions that the OECD agreement will immediately level the playing field for American companies. But we are determined to maintain pressure on our trading partners to combat these practices. My colleagues in Washington and at our missions abroad are working to eliminate the business practices and break down the barriers that penalize American firms around the world. We are going to bat for American firms competing for foreign orders. We are your aggressive advocates at home and abroad. I think you will find that this aggressive attitude pervades our posts all over the world. If you don't, let us know. Let me emphasize that the Department of State depends on your advice not just on business issues but on how you think we can best promote American interests abroad. I am personally committed to ensuring that American firms receive energetic support from their government and our missions abroad. We want to hear from you, and we will make sure your voice is heard. (###) ARTICLE 7: U.S.-Asia Economic Engagement In the 21st Century President Clinton Remarks to members of the U.S. business community and Pacific business leaders, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 16, 1994 [introductory remarks deleted] Iwant to thank all of you here from the American private sector who are in the audience for your presence but, more importantly, for your commitment to keeping our nation engaged economically across the world. Keeping America on the front lines of economic opportunity has been my first priority since I took office. We are pursuing a strategy to promote aggressive growth in the short run and in the long run. We began by putting our house in order. Our deficit was exploding; the public debt in America had quadrupled between 1981 and 1993. Now we are looking at a reduction in the deficit for the third year in a row for the first time since President Truman was President. Federal spending is the lowest it has been in more than a decade. We cut domestic and defense spending last year for the first time in 25 years. The federal work force is shrinking to its lowest level since President Kennedy was in office. The second thing we are doing is working hard to expand trade and investment. That is what NAFTA was all about; that is what the GATT agreement is all about; what the Summit of the Americas, soon to be held in Miami and, obviously, this wonderful APEC meeting are all about. The third thing we are working to do is to develop a system of life-long learning for our people--from expanding pre- school programs like Head Start to providing more affordable college education to our people, to changing the whole unemployment system in America to a continuous retraining system for people who must find new jobs in a rapidly changing global economy. Lastly, we are trying to change the way our government works. Secretary Brown talked about it a little bit. There was, I think, a perception among American businesses when we took office that both parties, historically, were wrong in their approach to business--looking to the future, not to the past; that the Democratic Party sometimes tended to see the relationship between business and government as adversarial, and the Republican Party sometimes seemed to be philosophically committed to being inactive, on the theory that anything the government did with the private sector would probably make things worse. In a world in which all economics is global as well as local, clearly, the important thing is partnership, efficiency, and good judgment. We have deregulated our banking and interstate trucking industries. We have changed our whole way of purchasing things in the government. We have invested more in defense conversion and new technologies, in partnerships with the private sectors. We have deregulated our relationships with our own local governments, permitting states to pursue their own reforms in health care and education and, most importantly, in changing our welfare system. But, perhaps over the long run, the most significant thing we have done is to reorganize the way we relate to the private sector, requiring all of our departments to work together and to look outward in partnership. The key to making this strategy work is erasing the dividing line between domestic and foreign economics--between, therefore, domestic and foreign policy. So far, I think, we are off to a pretty good start. Now the figures for the first 22 months are in. We have over five million new jobs in our economy; our industrial capacity is operating at its highest level in 14 years, with our lowest rate of inflation for 29 years. After years and years in which we were not seeing any increased income among our working people, this year we have more high-wage jobs coming into the American economy than in the previous five years combined. Now that is worth clapping for. The success of this ultimately rests on what our private sector does--on the productivity of our workers, the skill of our management, our continuing commitment to investment, to technologies, to enterprise, and to outreach. That is why we have pursued, from the beginning, a vigorous export strategy--a strategy rooted in tearing down trade barriers that deny our people the opportunity to compete and in actively promoting the sales of American goods and services in other nations. We have especially tried to target--thanks in large measure to Secretary Brown--not just our traditional markets but the big, emerging markets--the markets of the 21st century-- places like China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. In a departure from the behavior of previous administrations of both parties, we have unashamedly been an active partner in helping our business enterprises to win contracts abroad. I know that many of you in this audience have already benefited from the coordinated and vigorous efforts of the Commerce, State, and Treasury Departments; the Export-Import Bank; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and the Trade Development Agency. One of the things I most enjoy now when I go abroad is that I always try to take a little time to meet with American businesspeople operating in other countries. Repeatedly, they tell me that for the first time ever, they see an American State Department interested in economic advancement as well as diplomatic progress. All these things are important. I have to say to all of you that the most important thing we have to do this year is to go home and get the Congress to pass the GATT agreement. When the APEC leaders met in Seattle last year for the first time and President Soeharto came there along with leaders from 14 other countries, one of the things we did was to let the rest of the world know that we were not going to sit around while they decided whether we were going to have a GATT agreement. It was not very long before we got a GATT agreement. But, now that the leaders have agreed on it, the legislative bodies of all these nations must adopt it. The world is looking to the United States for leadership here, as well they should. We have had opposition to GATT in our Congress from members of both parties, but we have also had strong bipartisan support. So I am going home to seek to capitalize on that bipartisan support, to ask the Democrats to support GATT, and to invite the new Republican leaders in Congress to ratify one of their great predecessors'--Senator Vandenburg- -admonition that partisanship should stop at the water's edge. That used to apply to national security defined in military terms. Today, it applies to national security defined in economic terms. We must pass the GATT, and we should do it right away. For five decades after the Second World War, our presence in Asia was intended to help guarantee security and to allow prosperity to take root. In meetings this week, I reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to strengthen our important bilateral security relationships, to bolster regional alliances in security, and to rapidly implement the very important agreement we have reached with North Korea for that nation to become a non-nuclear nation. All these things will make this region more secure and, therefore, enable more prosperity to take root. I have tried to make it clear to all the leaders of Asia that the United States will honor its commitments to Asian security. But it is also a fact, and a healthy one, that the balance of our relationship with Asia has tilted more and more toward trade. As a result of the efforts of the Asian people, the Asian economies are clearly the most dynamic and rapidly growing on earth. Already they account for one-quarter of the world's output. Over the next five years, the growth rate in Asia is projected to be over 50% higher than the growth rate in the mature economies of the G- 7 countries. This means expanding markets to those who have the most attractive products and services. Increasingly, we like to believe those products and services are American. One-third of our exports already go to Asia, supporting more than two million American jobs. Over the next decade, we estimate that if we are vigorous and effective, Asia could add more than 1.8 million jobs to the American economy--jobs that pay on average 13% above non-export-related jobs. That is a very important thing for us, and an important thing for every American to think about. These facts compel us to remain ever more committed to deeper, and deeper, and deeper economic, political, and security engagement in Asia. For decades, we concentrated our efforts on Europe and, of course, on Japan. These nations will remain our close allies, our key competitors, our critical trading partners. But this new century we are about to enter compels a new strategy. Indonesia, Thailand, China, and India, among others, must be a big part of that strategy. The importance of Asia to our future is what has animated the intense interest of the United States in the APEC meetings. APEC, for me and for our country, is a long-term commitment. A year ago, as I said, 14 of the APEC leaders met for the first time in the United States in Seattle. We wanted to say to our trading partners and friends in Asia that the United States wants to remain engaged. We want the Pacific Ocean to unite us, not to divide us. We want to see the world growing in an open trading system, not breaking up into various trading blocks opposed to one another. We sought to give this incredibly diverse Asia-Pacific region a common identity rooted in a common purpose, committed to free trade and investment. This week at the summit, thanks in large measure to the leadership of President Soeharto, we began to transform that vision into a reality. We established concrete goals to reduce barriers to trade and investment throughout this region by a date certain. We are now committed, next year in our meeting in Osaka, to come up with a practical, day-to- day blueprint for achieving that goal; to simplify customs procedures, harmonize stand-ards, identify other bottlenecks, and lower tariff and non-tariff barriers. This commitment to achieve free trade and investment in the Asia- Pacific region by 2020 may sound like a long time to most people--and in our country, most of our teenagers think tomorrow is a long time away. But the truth is that, number one, it is not so far away, and number two, that is the end date. We will begin reducing barriers to trade and investment as soon as all of the parties to APEC agree on a blueprint and agree to implement it. I am profoundly encouraged by this prospect. Yesterday, I got an interesting question from the American press, which I might have gotten from American businesspeople, who say: Mr. President, this is not a mandatory agreement. How do you know it will be carried through? Good question. I said that I believe it will happen for two reasons. Number one, it is in the interests of all the countries involved to do it. And, number two, I have seen it work in this region. ASEAN, after all, committed to reduce barriers to trade by a date certain, and the commitment was so strong that the leaders reduced the date certain by five years. They moved the calendar closer. That can happen here as well. I hope it will. It will be good for all the nations involved if it does. Our industries and businesses have proved that they can compete in this region and with Asian companies, as long as they are allowed to do so in a fair way. We have regained our position throughout the world as the leading seller of semi-conductors. This year, for the first time in 15 years, American automobile manufacturers have outsold their Japanese competitors in the world markets. We have done things that I think are very important for the future--and the changes we have made to become more competitive in computers and in telecommunications. According to a recent survey that is conducted every year by the world economic forum in Geneva, the United States was voted, for the first time in nine years, the world's most competitive economy. That is thanks in no small measure to a lot of you and a lot of American workers back home and some pretty wrenching, difficult, and painful changes we had to undertake. In the six months from March to August of this year, our companies won 34 major contracts in Asia--from turbine generators in China to waste- incinerator technology in Taiwan. These contracts alone will generate $5.3 billion in U.S. exports supporting 85,000 jobs back home. This week alone, as you know, American companies signed contracts in the Philippines, Malaysia, and here in Indonesia for everything from fiber-optic phone networks to environmentally friendly geothermal plants. Secretary Brown was just at the signing ceremony. As he said, we had projects worth over $40 billion. I know that there is increasing wealth in Indonesia and throughout Asia, but where I come from, $40 billion is still real money--and we are grateful for the business. Of course, as the American President, the most important thing to me is that these contracts will support jobs-- thousands of them--back home from every place from Germantown, Maryland, to Oakland, California; from Evandale, Ohio, to Plantation, Florida. For all these successes, if we are going to keep going, we have to recognize that there are still some barriers. Let me just cite two examples--and that is why this APEC agreement is so important. By the year 2000, the market for automobiles in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines will equal to--I believe will exceed--today's market in Canada and Mexico combined. Now, even after GATT takes effect, tariffs on U.S. cars in these nations are between 30% and 60%, as opposed to a 2.5% tariff already in existence in the United States. That makes it harder to sell a Ford in Bangkok than it is to sell a Honda in Los Angeles. Let me give you another example. The Asian APEC countries plan to invest more than $1 trillion in infrastructure projects over the next six years. For those of you here from California who know that our busiest highways are in Southern California, that is like rebuilding 15 Santa Monica freeways every single day. Here, again, tariffs imposed-- even after GATT--include 25% levies on hydraulic turbans, up to 15% tolls on steel. These are things that American companies are eager to take down so that we can take part in the emerging adventure of Asia. The bottom line is that if we are going to have freer trade, it must be fairer. The APEC leaders have made their commitment to this goal. It is very, very exciting. Let me also say that I am very often asked by our press--and sometimes by the global press as I travel around the world-- whether or not our pursuit of economic engagement undermines our commitment to human rights throughout the world. I have said many times--and I will say again--I think it supports our commitment to human rights throughout the world. In every private meeting I have with leaders not only in this region but around the world, we talk about human rights issues and the other values--the things that make up the quality of life in any nation, things that are important to Americans from all walks of life. We do not seek to impose our vision of the world on others. Indeed, we continue to struggle with our own inequities and our own shortcomings. We recognize that in a world and in a region of such diverse and disparate cultures, where nations are at different stages of development, no single model for organizing society is possible or even desirable. We respect the tremendous efforts being made throughout this region to meet the basic needs of people in all these countries. At the same time, we remain convinced that strengthening the ties of trade among nations can help to break down chains of repression; that as societies become more open economically, they also become more open politically. It becomes in no one's interest to depress the legitimate aspirations and energies, the hopes, the dreams, and the voices of the many people who make up all of our nations. Commerce does tend to open more closed societies. Throughout this region, we will see as markets expand, as information flows, as contacts across borders and among people multiply that the roots of open societies will grow and strengthen and contribute to stability, not instability. More nations will learn that the freer and more educated people are the more they are able to be creative and to change with the fast-changing winds of the global economy. Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have all demonstrated this to an admirable degree. We in the United States also believe, however, that some basic rights are universal, that everywhere people aspire to be treated with dignity, to give voice to their opinions, to have a say in choosing their leaders. We permit it on a regular basis in the United States, even when we don't like the results. These aspirations are part of human nature. We see it in the stunning life story of President Kim of South Korea or the courageous dissidents, like Wei-Jing Sheng in China or Aung San Suu Kyi. We see it in the lives of these people. Our nation has sacrificed many of our sons and daughters for the cause of freedom around the world in this century. So we are moved, and we will continue to be moved by the struggle for basic rights. But I will say again, even though we will continue to promote human rights with conviction and without apology, we reject the notion that increasing economic ties in trade and partnerships undermine our human rights agenda. We believe they advance together and that they must. At a time when our nation is strong, in a time when our inspiration has permeated across the world and people from South Africa to Northern Ireland have asked us to help them in their struggle for democracy and freedom, we cannot turn away from that cause, and we will not. But your work and your progress and your success is also central to that cause. We live in amazing times. It was only five years ago this month that the Berlin Wall fell--an amazing thing. Look at what has happened to the world in the last five years. For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of the United States. For the first time since the end of World War II, there are no Russian soldiers in Eastern or Central Europe. Even though we have differences with our friends in Russia from time to time, we are working in genuine partnership across a whole range of areas that once would have been unthinkable. After hundreds of years of fighting, the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland are working hard to resolve their differences. We do see now the prospect that the nuclear threat will fade from the Korean Peninsula. We see a new determination for freedom in the Persian Gulf, which we are proud to support. And the historic, almost breathtaking, recently unimaginable prospect of peace in the Middle East--the home of the three great mono- theistic religions of the world, including Islam, which is followed by the vast majority of the people in this fine country. This is a remarkable time. I am convinced that the increasing freedom of economic activity, rooted in your commitment to invest, your commitment to risk, your commitment to think and imagine and visualize what you might do and to mobilize human resources in this cause is an absolutely pivotal part of continuing the march of freedom. So I ask you, as we leave this remarkable meeting, to recommit yourselves to fulfilling the human potential of your enterprise and all those whom you touch. For when the history of this era is written, it will be written in those terms. These changes, at bottom, are good because we are permitting--sometimes slowly, often rapidly--more and more and more and more people, to fulfill the potential that has lain within them. (###) ARTICLE 8: The U.S. and Thailand: Partners In an Asia-Pacific Community Secretary Christopher Opening remarks at a press conference, Bangkok, Thailand, November 17, 1994 Iwant to take this opportunity to comment briefly on my visit to Thailand as well as to comment on some of the broader themes of what has been an exceedingly productive trip to this region. Thailand is one of our oldest and closest allies in the entire region. Our relationship embodies the key elements of our overall engagement in the Pacific. Asia is a key place for the United States. Thailand is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a market of growing opportunities for American companies. Hand in hand with the leaders of Thailand's government, we have worked hard to strengthen our economic partnership. Thus, today, these efforts have borne considerable fruit. I want to point to two developments that will help American business export to and invest in this booming market where there is an increasingly level and fair playing field. First, after close cooperation between the U.S. Government and American industry, the Thai Government has agreed to open its market for American citrus products. This accord has been approved by the Minister of Agriculture here and will give Thai consumers access for the first time to wonderful U.S. citrus products. Second, as a result of friendly but firm negotiation that culminated in the recent passage of Thailand's new copyright law, the United States will remove Thailand from the Special 301 Priority Watch List. The new copyright law is an important step forward in the protection of intellectual property in Thailand. We will continue to keep a close eye on Thailand's protection of intellectual property rights, which is vital both to American exporters and investors. Improved protection of these rights could prevent the loss of up to $150 million in annual income to U.S. firms, just here in this one country. These two developments taken together will strengthen the position and confidence of American business in this key market. Our stake in Thailand's continued prosperity is reinforced by our long-standing security relationship. The closeness of this relationship can be seen by the fact that, in the current year, we will have 35 military exercises--those are more military exercises than we have with any other country in Asia. We maintain ready access to Thai ports and airfields, and we conduct a large military procurement program. We launched the ASEAN Regional Forum here in Bangkok last July, and that complements our bilateral treaty alliance with regional security dialogues aimed at easing tensions and building confidence in this region. I want to add just a word of my own personal appreciation to the Thai Government for its cooperation in the issues relating to MIAs and POWs. This is an issue of great emotional importance to the American people, perhaps extending beyond what others see as entirely logical. Nevertheless, for the American people, this is of the utmost importance. We greatly appreciate the unstinting cooperation of the Thai Government in this, and I do so personally. Our stake in Thailand's security and prosperity is supported by bonds that grow out of our shared commitment to democracy. Just in recent years, Thailand has demonstrated that accountable government and the rule of law reinforce the stability necessary for sustained economic growth. I went out of my way to compliment the Prime Minister for his leadership of this surge back to democracy in this country. As you know, I came to Thailand from a series of APEC meetings in Indonesia. I would like to take a moment to put into perspective the APEC leaders' Bogor Declaration, an achievement which I believe will come to be seen as a defining moment for the Asia-Pacific and the United States. The Bogor Declaration announced an alignment of open economies committed to the common pursuit of shared prosperity in this post-Cold War period. The declaration's goal of an open and free trade system by 2020 represents a bold step that will help assure continued growth in this region, the most dynamic economic region in the entire world. The Bogor Declaration is more than just a vision; it represents an important stage in what I believe is the beginning of an irreversible process of opening markets and expanding trade and investment. By establishing this set date and demonstrating their commitment to see this process through, the leaders of the 18 Asia-Pacific economies have generated irresistible momentum toward open trade. The importance of such a visionary decision can be seen in history. In 1944, far-sighted leaders from the United States and Western Europe came together at Bretton Woods to lay the cornerstone of post-war prosperity by creating economic institutions and demonstrating their commitment to open trade through what became the GATT. A half generation later, in the Treaty of Rome, West European leaders made a commitment to free and open trade which has culminated in Europe's single market. These achievements did not come overnight. They required much hard work, but their success is apparent to all. Today, a new set of leaders is, in its own way, laying the foundation for a new economic architecture spanning the Pacific. The true test of the Bogor Declaration will be its implementation. Over the coming year, APEC members must begin to shape a concrete action agenda--or blueprint--to take the specific steps necessary to transform Bogor's vision into reality. We hope APEC's leaders will be able to ratify and put into effect that blueprint when they meet next November in Japan. The Clinton Administration has put economic security front and center in American foreign policy. By promoting regional integration through APEC in Asia and NAFTA in our own hemisphere, we are advancing the most ambitious international economic agenda in over four decades. Now we must act on the most important and immediate item on that agenda: approving the Uruguay Round agreement by the end of the year. A constant theme in the meetings the President and I had in Asia was the immediate need for American leadership and action. I will be taking that message home to our Congress. Every nation in this region is looking to the United States to lead the way on this subject. Every nation here is telling me and telling each other that we need U.S. ratification for the GATT in order to maintain prosperity, to ensure that we won't have a lapse back into recession in these areas. Those who would oppose GATT would bear a heavy responsibility for risking the loss of momentum and the loss of the drive toward prosperity throughout the world. I began this trip last week in Seoul, where I reaffirmed America's determination to remain a Pacific power, to uphold our security commitments, and to take concrete steps to implement our agreement with North Korea. Throughout this trip, I found strong support for the agreement. All of the leaders of the region understand its vital importance for regional security and for halting the spread of nuclear weapons. In our bilateral meetings with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China, we together asserted our determination to see this agreement through, to see that it is implemented. During the past 10 days, I have traveled widely throughout the Asia-Pacific region--from Anchorage to Seoul, Manila, Jakarta, and now Bangkok. I have been continually struck by the enormous diversity of languages, cultures, histories, and levels of economic development. Some have suggested that the differences are too fundamental to bridge; that we must inevitably face a clash of civilizations. I strongly disagree. Based on my own observations, I see, underneath the diversity, a growing commitment to shared security, shared prosperity, and open societies. President Clinton's commitment to an Asia-Pacific community is taking shape, slowly but surely, before our eyes. But the deepening of this community will take strong U.S. leadership and continued U.S. engagement. We need and must maintain strong U.S. leadership. In the wake of the mid- term elections in the United States, I have emphasized throughout this trip the continuity of fundamental values of American foreign policy. The important work we did on this trip to safeguard our security, build prosperity, and advance our values demon- strates the need for continuing American leadership in this vital region. And it demonstrates our willingness to provide that leadership. (###) ARTICLE 9: A Human Resources Development Framework for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation: Declaration Text of Declaration released at the APEC Ministerial Meeting, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 11-12, 1994. APEC Ministers: Recognizing that in 1993 APEC Economic Leaders in Seattle envisioned a community in which improved education and training would provide the skills for maintaining economic growth; Recalling that the APEC Ministers in Seattle noted that the people of the region are its most important asset and that the dynamism of the region is reflected in changing human resources needs, and urged that continued priority attention be devoted to developing human resources; Reaffirming the Declaration of APEC Education Ministers, adopted at their 1992 Meeting, regarding the critical link between education and economic development; Reaffirming the vision and policy issues statements of the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group and the training-related parts of those of other Working Groups which were adopted at the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in 1993; and Reaffirming the principles of the Seoul Declaration: -- Affirm that the issues of human resources development and the development of economic growth, employment, and quality of life should be addressed in an integrated and coordinated manner; -- Affirm the value of, and need for, concerted development of human resources by member economies, the region's business/private sector enterprises, and research, education, and training institutions; -- Affirm the important role of the public sector in giving guidance to human resources development in both the public and business/private sectors. Recognizing that: -- Human resources is a broad concept requiring focused and sustained effort for its effective implementation; -- The development of human resources cuts across the work programs of most APEC committees and working groups, and so requires close collaboration; and -- Differences exist in the economic and social and political systems of member economies, Urge members to consolidate and concentrate their efforts in human resources development to produce tangible economic benefits in an effort based on focused dialogue and the achievement of consensus. We declare: Objective The objective of human resources development in APEC is to promote the well-being of all people in the region through economic growth and development. This is to be achieved by advancing the design, development, and delivery of practical and appropriate education and training for current and future managers, entrepreneurs, and workers in both the public and private sectors to contribute to economic growth, trade and development in the Asia Pacific region. In appropriate cases, the objective is to be achieved through the medium of policy recommendations for the consideration of APEC Ministers. Principles The development of human resources in APEC is to be based on the following principles: a. The people of the Asia Pacific are the most important resource in economic growth and development, one of whose goals is to enhance the quality of life and well-being of our peoples; b. The development of human resources contribute to the attainment of such fundamental values as the alleviation of poverty, full employment, universal access to primary, secondary and vocational education, and the full participation of all groups in the process of economic growth and development; c. Human resources development requires cooperative action by public, and business/private sectors, educational and training institutions; d. In designing regional approaches to human resources devel- opment attention must be given to the diversity of experiences and situations in the region. Priorities 1. Provision of a quality basic education for all. 2. Analysis of the regional labour market to allow sound forecasting of trends and needs in human resources development. 3. Increasing the supply and enhancing the quality of managers, entrepreneurs, and educators/trainers in areas of the economy central to fostering economic growth and development. Such areas include training in small- and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurship and in the management of sustainable growth incorporating economic and environmental considerations. 4. Reducing skills deficiencies and unemployment by designing industrial and other training programs for applications at all stages of a person's working life. 5. Increasing the quality of curricula, teaching methods and instruc- tional materials relating to the education and training of managers and other workers. 6. Increasing the opportunities in the region for people who seek to gain skills required for the economic growth and development of member economies and the region as a whole. 7. Preparing organizations and individuals to remain productive in the face of rapid economic and technological changes in member economies, the Asia-Pacific region and the global economy. We decide: A Work Plan for Human Resources Development in APEC The APEC Human Resources Working Group shall prepare an annual work plan for human resources development in APEC. The work plan is to define the priorities for HRD activities in APEC and set out the means for their realization in the immediate and longer terms. In the preparation of this plan, the Working Group shall be guided by the objective, principles and priorities set out in this Declaration and by the decisions of APEC Leaders and Ministers. The Working Group may take into account the views of appropriate expertise from within APEC and its observer organizations. The preparation of the work plan shall be incorporated in the HRD Working Group's first annual meeting held so that its report can be presented in a timely manner for consideration by the First Senior Officials Meeting. (###) ARTICLE 10: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting: Joint Statement Released at the APEC Ministerial Meeting, Jakarta, Indonesia, Novem-ber 11-12, 1994. 1. Ministers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the United States of America participated in the Sixth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting convened in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 11-12, 1994. Members of the APEC Secretariat were also present. The ASEAN Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), and the South Pacific Forum (SPF) attended as observers. 2. The President of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency, Mr. Soeharto, opened the meeting by extending the warmest welcome to all delegates attending the Sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting. He stated that the world situation now provides opportunities to all nations to work together in developing a new world order that is more equitable, stable, secure, and peaceful, in order to enhance the prosperity and welfare of the peoples. In this regard, the Asia-Pacific region has achieved remarkable progress due to appropriate economic policies. 3. In his remarks, he expressed the view that APEC cooperation should be further developed in the future. He stated that the Asia-Pacific region should continue to promote and facilitate the flow of investment and trade, as well as strengthen consultation in the field of macro- economic policies, enhance the quality of economic infrastructure, human resources development, quality and quantity of small and medium enterprises, and the acquisition and development of appropriate technology. 4. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. In his speech, Mr. Hartarto underlined that the Sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia was geared towards the promotion of greater trade and investment. He further stated that the meeting was to support economic cooperation on development of human resources, improvement of small and medium enterprises, improvement of infrastructure, involvement of private/business sector, so that cooperation in APEC will eventually bring about prosperity to the people of the Asia-Pacific Region. U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, speaking as chairman of the Fifth APEC Ministerial Meeting, expressed his deep appreciation for Indonesia's chairmanship of APEC in 1994 and for hosting the Sixth Ministerial Meeting. He congratulated President Soeharto, Minister Alatas, Minister Hartarto, and their colleagues for their leadership in sustaining the momentum achieved in APEC and for giving APEC a vitality that reflects and reinforces the dynamic qualities of the Asia-Pacific region. 5. Ministers looked forward to the meeting of APEC Economic Leaders to be held in Bogor, Indonesia, on November 15, 1994. The meeting offered a unique opportunity for leaders to give substance to the vision enunciated at the Blake Island meeting in order to achieve the objective of sustainable growth and common prosperity of the region. 6. Ministers held discussions on a range of topics, including: -- Economic Trends and Issues -- Trade and Investment Issues -- The Second Report of the Eminent Persons Group -- The Report of the Pacific Business Forum -- Human Resources Development -- Cooperation in Improving Public and Commercial Infrastructure -- Small and Medium Enterprises -- Implementation of Leaders' Vision and Initiatives -- The APEC Work Program -- Organizational Issues -- Other Matters Economic Trends and Issues 7. Ministers welcomed the Report of the Ad Hoc Group on Economic Trends and Issues (ETI) and appreciated its useful work during the past four years. They reaffirmed the group's important role in promoting economic dialogue throughout the region and encouraging economic growth and increasing the economic well-being of all peoples. Ministers emphasized the necessity for the strengthening of APEC's capability in the analysis of long-term macro- economic trends and studies of micro-economic issues. Ministers agreed to transform the group into an Economic Committee and endorsed the Terms of Reference of the new Committee. 8. Ministers thanked Chinese Taipei for its valuable work on the economic outlook prepared for the Ministers' review. They agreed that indepth analyses of the current situation of the three areas--trade, investment, and technology transfer provide a good basis to contribute to further APEC discussions on each of the three areas. 9. Ministers discussed the 1995 work plan for the Economic Committee which, from the outset, will be based on the following ongoing activities: -- Preparation of the 1995 APEC Economic Outlook; -- Circulation of key economic information; -- Analysis of the 3Es project--Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; -- Examination of the linkages between privatization and trade liberalization; -- Study of foreign direct investment trends in the region; -- Analysis of industrial and technological linkages in the region; -- Study of the effect of excessive exchange rate movement on trade and investment in the region. 10. Ministers welcomed Japan's presentation on "Partners for Progress" on the promotion of further economic cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region by reinforcing all the members' ability to effectively mobilize their human and other resources. Ministers recognized that cooperation to sustain the growth and development of the region for the common good of its peoples is one of the primary objectives in the APEC activities, and noted that the proposal will be further elaborated for consideration by Senior Officials. Second Report of the Eminent Persons Group 11. Ministers expressed their deep appreciation to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for its second report and commended the successful fulfilment of its mandate to recommend proposals on how to realize a long term vision for APEC. Ministers welcomed that report of the EPG which sets out a number of fundamental and important principles for APEC in three important directions: trade and investment facilitation, trade liberalization, and technical cooperation. Ministers noted that the EPG Report would serve as a valuable reference document for future deliberations including at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bogor. Report of the Pacific Business Forum 12. Ministers welcomed the report presented by the co- chairs of the Pacific Business Forum (PBF), and commended PBF members for their valuable input of business/private sector views. Ministers expressed their appreciation for the many concrete proposals put forward in the PBF report, and noted that these would serve as valuable reference points for future deliberations. Ministers further noted that the PBF Report would be considered by APEC Economic Leaders at their Bogor Meeting. 13. Ministers reaffirmed the critical role of the private sector in APEC. They endorsed the U.S. proposal to create an ongoing business/private sector advisory body as recommended unanimously by the PBF. Trade and Investment Issues 14. Ministers welcomed the substantial progress achieved by the CTI in the works related to trade and investment throughout the year. They reconfirmed trade and investment liberalization as a cornerstone of APEC's identity and activity. Ministers agreed to adopt the CTI Annual Report to Ministers, and approved its recommendations for the work program for 1995. 15. Ministers endorsed the establishment of the two sub- committees under CTI, namely the Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance and the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures. 16. Ministers recognised the need to support trade and investment programs with appropriate technical assistance to maximise the effectiveness of APEC activities. The Meeting of Ministers in Charge of Trade 17. Ministers welcomed the outcomes of the Meeting of APEC Ministers in charge of Trade which was held in Jakarta on October 6, 1994. As mandated by the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in Seattle last year, the main purpose of this meeting was to review the results of the Uruguay Round and its implications for the region and consider next steps for regional and global trade liberalization. 18. Ministers reaffirmed their determination to achieve full implementation of the results of the Uruguay Round and to demonstrate leadership by making maximum efforts in each of their economies to ensure the early ratification of the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization so that it is operational as of January 1, 1995. In this regard, Ministers expressed their strong support to non-GATT members of APEC to complete the negotiations as soon as possible to enable them to become original members of the WTO. Ministers affirmed that these negotiations should be based on substantive and commercially meaningful commitments. 19. Ministers further welcomed other initiatives reached by the meeting, inter alia, in developing a series of APEC seminars or workshops designed to exchange views on and explore scope for common regional approaches on the implementation of the results of the Uruguay Round; and in conducting programs that will be particularly valuable in helping to implement Uruguay Round results in the area of among others, anti-dumping, services, intellectual property rights, customs and rules of origin. In this respect, Ministers took note the recognition of the meeting to the importance of APEC's contribution to global trade, investment and economic growth and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum of trade liberalization. Ministers appreciated the support of the meeting to the efforts in facilitating trade and investment liberalization in the Asia- Pacific region. Small and Medium Enterprises 20. Ministers commended SME experts for their excellent work during 1994 and noted the importance of this area of cooperation. They also commended Chinese Taipei for its report of the APEC Survey on Small and Medium Enterprises. They welcomed the recommendations prepared by SME experts at their two meetings and encouraged Senior Officials to implement these recommendations. 21. Ministers also endorsed the SME Minister's recommendation to upgrade the SME Experts Meeting into an ad hoc SME Policy Level Group. Human Resources Development 22. Ministers adopted the "Declaration on the Human Resources Development Framework." The Declaration identifies the principles and elements of human resources development in APEC, while establishing a mechanism to plan and manage the implementation of these principles over time. 23. Ministers reaffirmed that human resources are the greatest single asset in achieving economic growth and development whose goal is the well being of their peoples. It is important that APEC be able to identify changes in the demand for skills in critical sectors which may cause bottlenecks to growth and development if not efficiently resolved. It is also important to develop, through general public education in public and private training, a labor force that has the fundamental attitude to permit a flexible response as requirements change. 24. Certain groups must be especially targeted for investment and human resources development on the basis of their capacity to enhance the development of others. These groups include entrepreneurs, managers, and technical workers in both business/private and public sector, educators of primary, secondary, tertiary, and vocational education, trainers in technologies needed for the next higher levels of economic development in member economies, and the future economic leaders of the region. 25. Ministers affirmed the importance of both public and private sector training in small and medium enterprises, in industrial and infrastructural technology, and a sustainable development which can mitigate and prevent negative impacts on current growth on future prosperity. 26. Ministers welcomed the U.S. proposal for establishing a private sector funded APEC Education Foundation. Such a foundation could track all APEC human resources development/educational activities, and could provide back- up and serve as a resource to the Human Resources Development Working Group, the associated Partnership for Education and Education Forum, and the APEC Leaders Education Initiatives. The U.S. offered to develop a detailed concept paper on this proposal for the consideration of Senior Officials and other relevant APEC bodies. Cooperation in Improving Public And Commercial Infrastructure 27. Ministers noted the importance of the infrastructure issue for APEC and its bearing on future economic development. They commended Indonesia for raising important issues in its useful paper on Cooperation in the Improvement of Commercial and Public Infrastructure. They took note with interest of the outcome of the World Infrastructure Forum held in Jakarta in October 1994, particularly in encouraging business sector involvement in infrastructure development. 28. Ministers endorsed the recommendations contained in the paper submitted by Indonesia which constitutes a basis for further work in this area, especially in the area of bilateral projects with region-wide impact. 29. Recognizing the importance of an adequate, efficient, and safe transportation system and the need for accelerated development of transportation infrastructure, as well as for better use of existing facilities, Ministers welcomed a proposal by the United States to host a meeting of APEC Ministers in charge of Transportation in mid-1995. Ministers agreed to ask the Working Group on Transportation to assist Ministers in elaborating this proposal. 30. Information and communication will play a major role in economic growth and development in APEC economies. The development of international and domestic information infrastructure is a priority for all APEC economies. Ministers noted the interest of the Working Group on Telecommunications in the development of an APEC information infrastructure. Ministers further noted the Global Information Infrastructure concept introduced at the ITU World Telecommunications Development Conference. Ministers encouraged the Working Group on Telecommunications and other relevant APEC fora to study the GII concept in their future work. The APEC Work Program 31. Recognizing the importance of the ten APEC Working Groups to the process of APEC, Ministers stressed that activities undertaken by the ten Working Groups were an integral part of APEC's efforts to contribute to the region's development and prosperity in specific fields. Ministers noted that in 1994 the Working Groups had made greater efforts to realizing the objectives contained in the vision and policy issues statements approved last year. Ministers approved the consolidated report of the APEC Working Groups. Trade and Investment Data 32. Ministers welcomed a substantial progress made toward obtaining a near comparable merchandise trade database for APEC economies. Ministers also noted the steady efforts of the Working Group to make consistent the published data of service trade and foreign direct investment flows and directed the Group to speed up those efforts. Trade Promotion 33. Ministers noted with satisfaction that the Working Group has been active in engaging the business/private sector in their activities: the Working Group held successfully the 4th Seminar/3rd Training Course on trade promotion and the first APEC Trade Fair with the full-scale participation of business people; the group assisted in the formation of the Asia-Pacific Business Network (APB-Net); and the group has been engaged in collecting information and data to be used by the business sector. Industrial Science and Technology 34. Ministers noted the initiative of the group to focus more on the issue of industrial science and technology, having the name changed to the "Working Group on Industrial Science and Technology". Ministers were also encouraged by a variety of work projects such as APEC Technomart, to facilitate technology transfer and to promote information flows of industrial science and technology among members. Human Resources Development 35. Ministers, noting the impressive number of projects completed by the Working Group in 1994, and 20 new activities--eight of them entirely self-funded--planned for 1995, expressed satisfaction that an increasing number of these projects directly addressed topics of their concern. They also expressed their confidence that the new planning mechanism for HRD expressed in their Ministerial Declaration would provide additional impetus in the design and implementation of such projects. Energy Cooperation 36. Ministers noted that the Energy Working Group has been active in implementing programs to encourage the more efficient delivery and consumption of energy and to mitigate the environmental consequences of energy use. They welcomed the initiatives of the group in underpinning technical programs by policy discussion conducive to a freer flow of information, investment and trade, noting that the group has endorsed fourteen non-binding principles to guide its work. Marine Resources Conservation 37. Ministers noted that the Working Group had initiated consultations with other international organizations involved in implementation of the Oceans Chapter of UNCED Agenda 21, with the objective of enhancing coordination of these activities in the Asia-Pacific region. They also welcomed the effort of the Working Group on red tide, and integrated coastal zone management to monitor and control land-based sources of pollution. Telecommunications 38. Ministers welcomed and endorsed the Guidelines for Regional Harmonization of Equipment Certification and for Trade in International Value-Added Network Services as developed and agreed by the Working Group following the Ministerial recommendation on the subject in Seattle in November 1993. Ministers also appreciated the Working Group's emphasis on an active human resources development program and its continuing work in the field of electronic data interchange. Fisheries 39. Ministers noted the importance of fisheries to the region, in particular to many developing member economies and recognized the benefit of work that is being undertaken by the Working Group in the areas of cooperation in fish harvesting and post-harvest technologies, seafood trade, health and quality control for fisheries products, and aquaculture training and development. Transportation 40. Ministers noted the importance of efficient transportation systems as an integral part of regional infrastructure in promoting growth and development. They welcomed the completion of the survey of regional transport systems and services as a stepping stone to further improvements in the transportation sector, and praised the Working Group's ongoing project addressing regional transportation congestion points. Ministers expressed their appreciation for the Working Group's report to Ministers on the effects of deregulation on small and medium enterprises in the transportation sector. Tourism 41. Ministers noted the statement submitted to them by the Working Group on Tourism highlighting the significant role of the tourism sector in the development of the APEC region, and priority areas of future work. Ministers encouraged the Working Group to continue and develop further its activities in these areas. Implementation of Leaders' Vision and Initiatives APEC Leaders' Economic Vision Statement, 1993: Progress on Themes 42. Ministers expressed appreciation for the presentation by Canada of the paper "APEC 1994 Work Program: Progress on Leaders Priorities and Issues." Ministers noted that the paper presented a useful survey of the breadth and scope of APEC's range of activities, relating them to the Seattle Leaders' initiatives. Ministers endorsed the release of this report as a contribution to public understanding of APEC activities. Remarks on the Progress of the Implementation of the Leaders' Initiatives on Blake Island -- The Establishment of the Pacific Business Forum 43. Ministers welcomed the work that has been concluded by the PBF. (A complete Ministers' comment on the PBF is stated at the item of "The Report of Pacific Business Forum.") -- Finance Ministers' Meeting 44. Ministers noted that APEC Finance Ministers had met in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 18-19, 1994 and had agreed to further a dialogue in areas of mutual interest, such as recent economic developments, capital flows, and financial markets issues, with a focus on private financing of infrastructure. They welcomed the decision of the APEC Finance Ministers to hold a second meeting in Indonesia on April 15-16, 1995. -- APEC Education Program 45. Ministers welcomed progress towards the realization of the program through the participation of many APEC member economies, noting the importance of educational links in strengthening ties among member economies, especially the progress on APEC Study Centers in member economies. 46. Ministers welcomed the launching of the APEC Next Generations' Program which was held in Cheju Island, Korea on September 11-16, 1994, under the theme "Toward a Prosperous Pacific Age." The U.S. has offered to host the second ANGP Workshops in Seattle in 1995. -- APEC Business Volunteer Program 47. Ministers commended Thailand on organizing a seminar which had reached consensus on how to advance the goals of the program, notably through the establishment of focal points in member economies to identify needs for and expertise in each such economy, to network with other focal points, and to serve as a dissemination point for information on the program. -- Non-Binding Investment Principles 48. Ministers endorsed the set of Non-Binding Investment Principles prepared in response to the initiative of APEC Economic Leaders at their informal meeting in Seattle. These principles represent an important aspect of work by APEC on investment. Ministers welcomed these principles and directed the CTI to continue work on investment issues, with the active involvement of the business community, to enhance investment among member economies. -- Energy, Environment, and Economic Growth 49. Ministers commended Japan for its report to the Ministers on the 3Es. They discussed the increasing demand for energy and the growing significance of environmental issues in the region, and noted the importance of 3Es and the simultaneous achievement of the 3Es. Ministers noted that the Japanese paper will prove helpful to the Energy Working Group in defining its future efforts. 50. Ministers also examined the future issue, as pointed out in the report, of improving the regional structure of energy demand-supply, and discussed APEC's vital role in information exchange, fostering common understanding and policy discussion. -- APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises 51. Ministers welcomed the progress in elaboration and realization of the project to make small and medium enterprises more globally competitive through the two- pronged strategy of technology exchange and training for such enterprises. -- Small and Medium Enterprises Ministers Meeting 52. Ministers thanked Japan for hosting the Osaka Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting and concurred with the SMEs Ministers' Joint Statement that SMEs were increasingly important in terms of heightening economic complemen-tarities and development in the region. They also agreed that market-oriented SMEs policy on Human Resources Development, information access, technology and technology sharing, the availability of finance, and market access should be enhanced. 53. Ministers noted that a sound base had been established for APEC SME policy dialogue and noted the joint meeting between the business/private sector and the Ministers in that it had obviously enhanced the practical value of the discussions in the SME Ministerial Meeting. 54. Ministers endorsed the SME Ministers' recommendation to upgrade the SME Experts Meeting into an Ad-Hoc SME Policy- Level Group, and also the terms of reference for this group, as well as the further recommendation that APEC commission an industrial outlook study. They welcomed the decision to hold a second SME Ministerial Meeting in Australia in 1995. 55. Ministers welcomed Japan's voluntary contribution to the fostering of APEC SMEs, such as the establishment of training and support programmes. Organizational Issues APEC Secretariat 56. Ministers noted with appreciation the work of Ambassador Rusli Noor and his staff at the Secretariat during the second year of the Secretariat's operation. Ministers stressed the importance of the Secretariat in facilitating and coordinating APEC's work programs and in promoting information exchanges among member economies as well as among various Committees and Working Groups. 57. Ministers took note that the initial arrangement of the APEC Secretariat is approaching its end. In this regard, Ministers asked the SOM to review the arrangement and the function of the Secretariat to ensure that the Secretariat is meeting APEC's evolving needs, and submit recommendations for new arrangements to the next Ministerial Meeting. Ministers also endorsed the establishment of a Task Force for this purpose, the terms of reference of which are contained in the SOM report. 58. Ministers noted that the Secretariat will have to meet its recurrent expenditure including salaries and allowances of locally-recruited staff, utility charges, and charges for the maintenance of buildings and office equipment, which are currently being borne by the Singapore Government, effective on January 1, 1996. Ministers agreed on the need for the current arrangements for staffing and funding the Secretariat to be reviewed. Ministers endorsed Senior Officials' recommendations to form a task force to examine this matter and report to the next Ministerial Meeting. Participation Issues 59. Ministers welcomed the membership of Chile in APEC beginning with this Ministerial meeting. 60. Ministers discussed the issue of participation by non- member economies and organizations in APEC Working Groups. Ministers decided that the matter be referred back to the Senior Officials for them to work out criteria and principles to be submitted to the 1995 APEC Ministerial Meeting. 61. Ministers noted the progress made to formulate policies that can promote business activities in the region. 62. Ministers particularly noted the contributions of the Pacific Business Forum and the Eminent Persons Group and the increased participation of the business/private sector in APEC at all levels, notably in Working Group activities. 63. Ministers welcomed the establishment of the Asia- Pacific Business Network (APB-Net). Ministers commended the work of APB-Net as a concrete implementation of business/private sector engagement in the APEC process and Ministers also expected that this new forum could be a vital and effective channel for promoting business-to-business networking. Budget Issues 64. Ministers welcomed the establishment of the Budget and Administrative Committee and noted with satisfaction its successful operation during 1994. Ministers approved a 1995 budget of U.S. $ 2,227,732 as drawn up by the Committee and recommended by Senior Officials. Ministers also endorsed the contribution levels recommended by Senior Officials for 1995, but noted that the overall approach for assessing members' contributions would be reviewed next year by the BAC. 65. Ministers asked that the Budget and Administrative Committee should continue its useful work in examining and making recommendations to Senior Officials on budgetary issues and on how to improve operational and administrative efficiency. Other Matters APEC Communications and Database System (ACDS) 66. Ministers welcomed the report on the completion of the first stage of the APEC Communications and Database System (ACDS) project and noted that the ACDS promises to be the communications hub and information repository of APEC. 67. Ministers urged full use of ACDS to increase APEC's efficiency and greatly improve communications among the member economies, Working Groups and Committees and the Secretariat. Environment Ministers Meeting 68. Ministers noted the Philippines presentation of the concept of Debt-for-Nature Swap in relation to sustainable development. 69. Ministers welcomed the result of the Meeting of the APEC Ministers concerned with the Environment which was held in Vancouver, Canada on March 23-25, 1994. Ministers also welcomed the suggestions for implementation developed by the Environmental Experts Meeting in Hua Lien, Chinese Taipei, on August 25-27, 1994. They directed the SOM and the Working Groups to study these suggestions and directed the SOM to report to the Seventh Ministerial Meeting on its progress in integrating environmental issues into ongoing APEC activities. Preparation for the Seventh Ministerial Meeting 70. Ministers thanked Japan for the valuable briefing on the preparations of the Seventh APEC Ministerial Meeting in Osaka, Japan, in 1995. Venues for Future APEC Meetings 71. As decided at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Seventh Ministerial Meeting will be held in Japan in 1995. The Eighth and Ninth Ministerial Meetings will be held in 1996 and 1997, hosted respectively by the Republic of the Philippines and Canada. Malaysia will host the Tenth Ministerial Meeting in 1998. 72. Ministers and their delegations expressed their deep and wholehearted appreciation to the Republic of Indonesia for its warm and generous hospitality towards all the participants and the excellent facilities and arrangements made available for the Meeting. (###) ARTICLE 11: APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration Of Common Resolve Released at the APEC Leaders' Meeting, Bogor, Indonesia, November 15, 1994. 1. We, the economic leaders of APEC, came together in Bogor, Indonesia today to chart the future course of our economic cooperation which will enhance the prospects of an accelerated, balanced and equitable economic growth not only in the Asia Pacific region but throughout the world as well. 2. A year ago on Blake Island in Seattle, USA, we recognized that our diverse economies are becoming more interdependent and are moving toward a community of Asia Pacific economies. We have issued a vision statement in which we pledged: -- to find cooperative solutions to the challenges of our rapidly changing regional and global economy; -- to support an expanding world economy and an open multilateral trading system; -- to continue to reduce barriers to trade and investment to enable goods, services and capital to flow freely among our economies; -- to ensure that our people share the benefits of economic growth, improve education and training, link our economies through advances in telecommunication and transportation, and use our resources sustainably. 3. We set our vision for the community of Asia Pacific economies based on a recognition of the growing interdependence of our economically diverse region, which comprises developed, newly industrializing and developing economies. The Asia Pacific industrialized economies will provide opportunities for developing economies to increase further their economic growth and their level of development. At the same time developing economies will strive to maintain high growth rates with the aim of attaining the level of prosperity now enjoyed by the newly industrializing economies. The approach will be coherent and comprehensive, embracing the three pillars of sustainable growth, equitable development and national stability. The narrowing gap in the stages of development among the Asia Pacific economies will benefit all members and promote the attainment of Asia Pacific economic progress as a whole. 4. As we approach the twenty-first century, APEC needs to reinforce economic cooperation in the Asia Pacific region on the basis of equal partnership, shared responsibility, mutual respect, common interest, and common benefit, with the objective of APEC leading the way in: -- strengthening the open multilateral trading system; -- enhancing trade and investment liberalization in Asia Pacific; and -- intensifying Asia Pacific development cooperation. 5. As the foundation of our market-driven economic growth has been the open multilateral trading system, it is fitting that APEC builds on the momentum generated by the outcome of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and takes the lead in strengthening the open multilateral trading system. We are pleased to note the significant contribution APEC made in bringing about a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round. We agree to carry out our Uruguay Round commitments fully and without delay and call on all participants in the Uruguay Round to do the same. To strengthen the open multilateral trading system we decide to accelerate the implementation of our Uruguay Round commitments and to undertake work aimed at deepening and broadening the outcome of the Uruguay Round. We also agree to commit ourselves to our continuing process of unilateral trade and investment liberalization. As evidence of our commitment to the open multilateral trading system we further agree to a standstill under which we will endeavour to refrain from using measures which would have the effect of increasing levels of protection. We call for the successful launching of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Full and active participation in and support of the WTO by all APEC economies is key to our ability to lead the way in strengthening the multilateral trading system. We call on all non-APEC members of the WTO to work together with APEC economies toward further multilateral liberalization. 6. With respect to our objective of enhancing trade and investment in Asia Pacific, we agree to adopt the long-term goal of free and open trade and investment in Asia Pacific. This goal will be pursued promptly by further reducing barriers to trade and investment and by promoting the free flow of goods, services and capital among our economies. We will achieve this goal in a GATT-consistent manner and believe our actions will be a powerful impetus for further liberalization at the multilateral level to which we remain fully committed. We further agree to announce our commitment to complete the achievement of our goal of free and open trade and investment in Asia Pacific no later than the year 2020. The pace of implementation will take into account the differing levels of economic development among APEC economies, with the industrialized economies achieving the goal of free and open trade and investment no later than the year 2010 and developing economies no later than the year 2020. We wish to emphasize our strong opposition to the creation of an inward-looking trading bloc that would divert from the pursuit of global free trade. We are determined to pursue free and open trade and investment in Asia Pacific in a manner that will encourage and strengthen trade and investment liberalization in the world as a whole. Thus, the outcome of trade and investment liberalization in Asia Pacific will not only be the actual reduction of barriers among APEC economies but also between APEC economies and non- APEC economies. In this respect we will give particular attention to our trade with non-APEC developing countries to ensure that they will also benefit from our trade and investment liberalization, in conformity with GATT/WTO provisions. 7. To complement and support this substantial process of liberalization, we decide to expand and accelerate APEC's trade and investment facilitation programs. This will promote further the flow of goods, services and capital among APEC economies by eliminating administrative and other impediments to trade and investment. We emphasize the importance of trade facilitation because trade liberalization efforts alone are insufficient to generate trade expansion. Efforts at facilitating trade are important if the benefits of trade are to be truly enjoyed by both business and consumers. Trade facilitation has also a pertinent role in furthering our goal of achieving the fullest liberalization within the global context. In particular we ask our ministers and officials to submit proposals on APEC arrangements on customs, standards, investment principles and administrative barriers to market access. To facilitate regional investment flows and to strengthen APEC's dialogue on economic policy issues, we agree to continue the valuable consultations on economic growth strategies, regional capital flows and other macro-economic issues. 8. Our objective to intensify development cooperation among the community of Asia Pacific economies will enable us to develop more effectively the human and natural resources of the Asia Pacific region so as to attain sustainable growth and equitable development of APEC economies, while reducing economic disparities among them, and improving the economic and social well-being of our peoples. Such efforts will also facilitate the growth of trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region. Cooperative programs in this area cover expanded human resource development (such as education and training and especially improving management and technical skills), the development of APEC study centres, cooperation in science and technology (including technology transfer), measures aimed at promoting small and medium scale enterprises and steps to improve economic infrastructure, such as energy, transportation, information, telecommunications and tourism. Effective cooperation will also be developed on environmental issues, with the aim of contributing to sustainable development. Economic growth and development of the Asia Pacific region has mainly been market-driven, based on the growing interlinkages between our business sectors in the region to support Asia Pacific economic cooperation. Recogni