Apec pledges to boost fight against terrorism following deadly terror attacks in Paris
As French jets pound Islamic State stronghold, ministers in Manila vow to target militants’ financing and back risk assessments on air travellers
Ministers from Asia-Pacific economies have pledged to beef up the fight against terrorism by targeting the financing of militant groups and performing risk assessments on air travellers and crews, following the deadly attacks in Paris.
The statement was issued on Tuesday by ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) countries as they wrapped up a two-day conference ahead of a summit for state leaders.
The ministers highlighted the Apec counter-terrorism working group’s efforts to disrupt the financing of terrorism through emerging payment technology and to clamp down on cross-border travel by terrorists.
“We support economies’ efforts to implement the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record programmes to secure and facilitate legitimate travel within the region,” the statement added.
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The programmes enable authorities to perform risk assessments on air travellers and crew members by collecting personal and luggage information from airlines.
The Apec statement came as both France and Russia staged air strikes on Islamic State targets in northern Syria and as Paris formally requested European Union assistance in its fight against the group behind last Friday’s bloody attacks on the French capital.
French warplanes targeted a command post and a recruitment centre for jihadis in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in the second consecutive night of strikes ordered by President Francois Hollande.
Apec also encouraged members to update their counter-terrorism action plans regularly.
At least 129 people were killed during the shootings and explosions in Paris and its suburbs, just days before state leaders arrived in Manila, the Philippines, for the Apec meetings.
Amid intensive lobbying by China, the South China Sea was not mentioned in the Apec statement, though it was mentioned in talks between the Philippines and Japan on Monday.
President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Manila, which ends tomorrow, is the first by a Chinese president since 2005, and comes amid concerns in the region over Chinese land reclamation in the sea.
We support economies’ efforts to implement the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record programmes to secure and facilitate legitimate travel within the region
Xi will meet Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying today.
The Apec ministers encouraged regional connectivity, but did not mention Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy. They did highlight the Beijing-backed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which is seen as an effort to counter the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
“We commend the launch of the Collectivity Strategic Study on issues related to the realisation of the FTAAP, including the establishment of the task force and core drafting group,” the statement said.
Deputy Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said the study was “very important, and next year the ministers will make concrete suggestions on how the FTAAP can be realised”.
Wang said China was still “evaluating” the TPP.
Additional reporting by Reuters
