Globalization is indispensable, irreversible: Vietnamese president

HANOI–Globalization is indispensable and irreversible, said Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang here on Tuesday.

Quang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Toward 2020 and Beyond held in Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Tuesday in the framework of the ongoing APEC Second Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 2) and related meetings.

Against the backdrop that doubts on globalization and benefits of free trade are arising in some parts of the world, Quang affirmed that “globalization is indispensable and irreversible.”

However, “we can absolutely contribute to reforming the globalization process in a more humane, inclusive and sustainable way,” said Quang, adding that “it’s time for APEC economies to send out a message of continuing their commitments to keeping opening up markets, boosting regional economic connectivity and supporting a new better globalization process.”

In the coming two or three decades, APEC should show its vitality, dynamism, resilience and accountability, taking good leadership role in dealing with global and regional challenges, such as climate change, aging population, income inequality, natural disasters, and epidemics, among others, proposed the Vietnamese president.

Don Campbell, co-chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, for his part, said at the ceremony that after the global financial crisis, APEC emphasized the need for future growth to be more balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure to be achieved through a new growth strategy, which echoes and updates APEC’s founding vision.