The Biden administration has a unique opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to active leadership and collaborative engagement in the Asia Pacific by announcing that it will chair APEC in 2023. Taking this step would give form to President Biden’s remarks in early February on America’s Place in the World where he noted, “American cannot afford to be absent any longer on the world stage.” However, the Biden administration needs to decide urgently. The window of opportunity to chair APEC is closing and if the U.S. does not act, it will be taken up by another economy.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is an established body where the U.S. has a leading voice, and is one that includes important, longstanding U.S. allies as well as key competitors. Further, APEC’s long-term vision aligns with the Biden administration’s trade and economic priorities. A U.S. chairmanship will provide the chance to make these central themes of APEC’s work. For example, the U.S. can:
- bolster its leadership on climate change with a focus on how modern trade and investment disciplines can lead to better environmental and climate outcomes;
- leverage APEC to promote the digital governance disciplines featured in the USMCA and U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement as norms for the region; and
- advance a worker-centered trade policy by advancing APEC’s work in support of entrepreneurs, women, and small businesses.
The National Center for APEC encourages the Biden administration to leverage these opportunities by announcing as soon as possible its intention to chair APEC in 2023. An early announcement would demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to active leadership in the region, beginning with the economic and trade agenda. NCAPEC is joined by others in the international trade and foreign affairs community who have authored articles detailing the benefits of a U.S. chairmanship of APEC, including:
- Ambassador James Zumwalt, CEO of the Saskawa Peace Foundation (https://spfusa.org/research/strengthening-the-u-s-japan-partnership-in-asia-the-promise-of-apec/)
- Ambassador Kurt Tong, former U.S. Senior Official for APEC (https://www.csis.org/analysis/biden-should-seize-apec-and-asean-opportunities)
- Michael Green and Evan Medeiros of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-02-15/can-america-restore-its-credibility-asia)
The benefits of a U.S. chairmanship of APEC in 2023 are clear. In a political climate that makes rejoining the TPP or launching meaningful trade negotiations in the Indo-Pacific unlikely, taking the reins of the Asia Pacific’s premier economic forum provides the Biden administration with a chance to influence the region’s discourse on trade while backing up its rhetoric on multilateral engagement.
