Macron urges Apec to repair battered multilateral world order
France's President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the importance of a multilateral world and urged Apec countries to join hands for win-win solutions on Friday.
Macron made the plea in his keynote speech, "Navigating a Turbulent World", for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit at the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok.
The French leader said the world faced a turning point over three scenarios: the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and the confrontation of superpowers. All three were undermining the global order, trade and investment, he added.
Macron said the US-China trade conflict had done damage by forcing other countries to choose sides.
“Are you on the US or the China side?” was the question asked, said Macron, who added, “But we need a single global order.”
Countries must re-establish international rules and multilateralism in order to maintain global peace and stability, he told the CEO summit.
To avoid new conflicts, it was imperative to establish a new equilibrium and stability at the regional level, he said.
" A dynamic balance is the best way for nations to avoid being forced to choose between superpowers. Countries have to pursue inclusive, sustainable development to address inequality and instability," he said. "You compete, all of us want to win. But you have to respect the sovereignty of the other one.”
He also told business leaders at the summit that capitalism's DNA must be recalibrated to make global trade and development more inclusive, equal and sustainable.
