Shashwat Awasthi and Praveen Menon

WELLINGTON (Reuters] -The Asia-Pacific region cannot return to tensions from the Cold War era. This was the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s statement on Thursday. He made this comment ahead of a virtual meet with Joe Biden which is expected next week.

In a recorded message, Xi stated that any attempt to create ideological lines, or small circles on geopolitical ground, was bound to fail.

Xi stated that the Asia-Pacific region could not and should never relapse in the conflict and division of Cold War era.

Xi made the remarks in reference to U.S. cooperation with partners and allies in the region. This includes the Quad Grouping with India and Japan to counter what Washington considers China’s increasing coercive military and economic influence.

China’s military claimed Tuesday that they conducted a combat ready patrol in the direction Taiwan Strait. This was after it condemned a U.S. congress delegation visiting Taiwan, an democratically controlled island claimed to be Beijing.

The U.S.’s early diplomatic engagements with China during the Biden presidency were a source of concern for allies. U.S. officials feel that direct engagement is the best option to stop the two largest economies in the world from spiraling into conflict.

The date of the Xi Biden meeting is not yet known, however, a person who was briefed said that the event would be held next week.

Xi stressed that economic recovery must happen quickly in the region and suggested that all countries should close the COVID-19 gap.

Xi suggested that we should “translate the consensus on vaccines as a global public goods into concrete actions to ensure equitable distribution.”

Regional leaders will meet as part of a series of APEC conferences that runs for a week. The summit is on Friday and Saturday. It’s hosted completely online by New Zealand. New Zealand has strict pandemic control measures, which means it has closed its borders to most travellers since 18 months.

CLIMATE CHANGE

As world leaders and companies work together towards reducing global warming and reducing emissions, climate change is a central topic on the summit’s agenda.

Xi stressed the need to manage climate change for sustainability, and stated that China will achieve its carbon neutrality goals within the timeline it set.

The carbon reduction initiative will also need massive investments. This creates enormous market opportunities and the potential for collaboration. Xi stated that the business community in Asia-Pacific is welcome to participate in our endeavor.

Jacinda, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, stated that APEC was taking steps to eliminate fossil-fuel subsidies from New Zealand’s industry in her opening address.

“Why is it that governments are subsidizing fossil-fuel usage to the tunes of around $500 billion per year? “I’m happy that APEC has taken concrete steps to combat these subsidies,” Ardern stated in her virtual address.