MANILA, Philippines—Asia-Pacific leaders called Thursday for governments to urgently increase cooperation in the fight against terrorism as they wrapped up annual talks haunted by the Paris attacks.
“Under the shadow cast by the terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and against Russian aircraft over the Sinai, and elsewhere, we strongly condemn all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism,” the leaders said in a summit declaration.
The statement was a departure from convention for the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which normally focuses on trade and business issues.
The APEC bloc groups the United States and China with middle powers such as Australia and developing nations in Asia and South America. It accounts for about 60 percent of the global economy.
In their declaration, the leaders stressed the “urgent need for increased international cooperation and solidarity in the fight against terrorism.”
“We will not allow terrorism to threaten the fundamental values that underpin our free and open economies,” they said.
President Barack Obama, China’s President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were in the Philippine capital for the summit, as France and Russia were pursuing resolutions in the U.N. Security Council, seeking to unite the international community in combating the Islamic State group.
Reacting to reports of the killing of a Chinese hostage by IS that underscored the threat of terrorism across the globe, Xi called the group the “common enemy of humankind” in comments quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency.
IS said in its magazine Wednesday that it had killed former school teacher and self-described “wanderer” Fan Jinghui, 50, and a Norwegian who it was holding for ransom.
The French Interior Ministry and Paris prosecutor’s office said Thursday it remains unclear whether the suspected mastermind of last week’s Paris attacks, which killed 129 people, has been killed or is still at large. A gunbattle Wednesday, as police hunted the man, killed two people. Eight were arrested.
The mission of the 21-member APEC, convened in Manila under extremely tight security, is lowering barriers to trade and economic development. The declaration noted the vital link between lack of economic opportunity and terrorism.
