Chile announces that the country withdraws itself from being the host of the upcoming APEC Summit. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera mentioned the on-going protests in Chile to be the factor Chile cancels APEC Summit.
The protests, in short, demand the resignation of the current president. Due to having no alternative host, the summit will be delayed.
The sudden cancellation indubitably results in confusion among the global world, particularly the supposed attendees of the summit. This is so for, among all the notable motions that will be discussed during the summit, the US and China promise to sign their Phase One deal.
However, as there exists no APEC Summit in Chile, the world must wait for the signing of the deal. That said, Washington and Beijing still express their interest in signing the deal.
Reportedly, APEC Summit is not the only event to postpone due to the unstable situation of current Chile. The approaching United Nations Climate Change Conferences, or COP25, that will take place in Chile on December, encounters an identical issue.
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Other Countries’ Response towards the APEC Summit Cancellation
Regarding the cancellation, it is no surprise that many countries condemn it. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera truly apologizes for the uncomfortable measure the country has to take.
“This has been a very difficult decision, a decision that causes a lot of pain, because we fully understand the importance of APEC and COP25 for Chile and for the world,” said President Pinera.
China, for instance, regrets the cancellation of the summit. However, the country promises to look for another opportunity to sign a deal with the US.
Indifferent from China, the US was really looking forward to signing the deal in Chile. Washington never expects that there will be the cancellation of the long-awaited APEC summit.
Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte supports Chile’s move to postpone the meeting. Through his spokesman, Salvador Panelo, President Duterte highlights that it is important to resolve the political issues of Chile before moving to host a crucial, global event.
“The Office of the President, therefore, expresses the country’s support for Chile as it made the hard decision of canceling its hosting of the AELM, taking into consideration the interest and concerns of the Chilean people, as its country endured massive street protests that were propelled by a civil disobedience campaign over metro transit hikes,” said Panelo in a statement.