Anti-graft statement expected from APEC

Updated: 2014-11-06 20:04

By Zhang Xiang(chinadaily.com.cn)

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Anti-graft statement expected from APEC

Alan Bollard, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, speaks at a news briefing in Beijing, Nov 6, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]


An anti-corruption declaration is expected to be released during the APEC Economic Leaders' Week, a senior official of the organization said on Thursday.

The statement, which will include setting up a coordination group among member economies, was proposed not only by the Chinese leadership, but also by the United States, Alan Bollard, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, said at a press briefing held in Beijing.

"What it does is to lay down principles to fight corruption, but it also goes beyond that," Bollard said.

A group is being set up to get the enforcement agencies together across the APEC and allow them to pass on information about particular cases to one another, he said, adding that it is necessary to track cases across borders and to recover assets that have been illegally moved between economies, a process that involves different jurisdictions and legal structures.

China intensified its anti-corruption campaign this year, including start of a six-month operation called "Fox Hunt" to target economic fugitives, especially corrupt officials, who fled abroad with their illicit assets.

"For efficient economic production, you need to fight corruption through what will become the Beijing Statement of Anti-Corruption", Bollard said.

Details of the declaration will be public in a couple of days, he added.

The briefing was held after the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting ended, offering perspective on the agenda and key actions on the table of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week.

The senior officials have reached agreements on the initiatives being proposed for APEC year in China, which consists of the Free Trade Area for the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), connectivity blueprint of the region, and innovative development, economic reform and growth, but most of them have to go to the ministers' meeting for assessment, according to Bollard.

Around 300 senior officials and delegates from 21 APEC member economies, APEC Secretariat, APEC Business Advisory Council, and observers attended the meeting.

The briefing also unveiled the latest APEC Economic Trends Analysis report submitted to member economies gathered in Beijing this week, providing further insights on where regional growth is headed and policy recommendations.

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