China calls for APEC cooperation as commerce minister skips opening over ‘urgent official business’
China's international trade representative, Li Chenggang, emphasized the importance of cooperation among APEC economies during the trade ministers' meeting. He chaired the opening session in place of Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who was absent due to urgent business. The meeting follows recent agreements between the U.S. and China on trade, including significant orders for Boeing aircraft and agricultural products.
- ▪Li Chenggang opened the APEC trade ministers' meeting, calling for strong regional cooperation.
- ▪Commerce Minister Wang Wentao was absent due to urgent official business.
- ▪The meeting follows a recent U.S.-China agreement on trade, including a major order of Boeing aircraft.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
SUZHOU, China — Li Chenggang, China's international trade representative, opened the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers' meeting on Friday with a call for regional economies to "send a strong message to the world" in support of cooperation. Li said he was chairing the opening meeting in place of China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who had "urgent official business," according to a CNBC translation of his remarks in Chinese.The trade representative role is a full minister rank. Li also serves as China's vice commerce minister.The APEC trade ministers' meeting, set to conclude Saturday, comes about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing.
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