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2019 East Asia Summit and APEC Meetings Summary

Core Content Overview

The 2019 East Asia Summit (EAS) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings were significant events in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on economic cooperation, security concerns, and U.S. strategic engagement. These summits, held in November 2019, brought together leaders from Southeast Asia, major regional powers, and international partners to address key issues such as trade agreements, maritime disputes, and the evolving U.S.-China relationship.

Main Speakers and Their Focus Areas

• Matthew P. Goodman: Discussed the U.S. economic strategy under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative, emphasizing the importance of U.S. presence in the region for strategic and economic engagement. He highlighted the lack of a credible regional trade strategy post-TPP withdrawal and the ongoing U.S.-China competition.

• Amy Searight: Covered the role of ASEAN in the EAS, the significance of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations, and the impact of the U.S. absence on the region's perception of its strategic reliability.

• Jude Blanchette: Analyzed the U.S.-China trade negotiations, particularly the potential phase one agreement, and the broader implications of the U.S.-China strategic rivalry.

• Michael A. Matera: Focused on Chile's hosting of the APEC 2019 Leaders Summit, the domestic unrest in Chile, and the potential impact on the summit's proceedings.

Key Issues and Developments

1. U.S. Economic Strategy and FOIP

• The U.S. has been emphasizing the Indo-Pacific region under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy, which includes a broad range of engagement across political, security, and economic dimensions.
• Despite the strategy's launch, the U.S. has not yet established a comprehensive regional trade framework, leading to skepticism about its credibility.
• The absence of high-level U.S. representation at the East Asia Summit raised concerns about the administration's commitment to the region.

2. RCEP Negotiations

• The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a major trade agreement involving 16 of the 18 EAS countries, excluding the U.S. and Russia.
• The agreement has been in negotiation for seven years, with India being the primary obstacle due to its resistance to market access concessions.
• While a final agreement is unlikely at the EAS, progress is expected, and a deal might be reached early in 2020.

3. South China Sea Code of Conduct

• ASEAN has been working on a code of conduct with China to address maritime disputes.
• Tensions between China and Southeast Asian countries, particularly Vietnam, have slowed progress.
• A major breakthrough is not expected in 2019 or 2020, despite the efforts of ASEAN.

4. U.S.-China Trade Talks and Phase One Agreement

• The U.S. and China were expected to sign a phase one trade agreement on November 17, 2019, during the APEC summit.
• The agreement would include the postponement of tariffs and increased agricultural purchases from China, but not the core issues like intellectual property protection, forced technology transfer, and industrial subsidies.
• The agreement is likely to be symbolic rather than substantive, with concerns about enforcement and long-term implications of the U.S.-China rivalry.

5. Chile's Domestic Unrest and APEC Summit

• Chile faced significant domestic protests over economic inequality and access to education and healthcare, which raised concerns about the summit's security.
• Despite the unrest, Chilean authorities confirmed the summit would proceed, with possible schedule adjustments.
• The protests have been compared to past disruptions in Thailand, but so far, Chile has managed to keep the summit on track.

Conclusion

The 2019 EAS and APEC meetings highlighted the complex dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on economic cooperation, strategic competition, and the U.S.'s role in the area. While there were hopes for progress on trade and security issues, the lack of U.S. leadership at the EAS and the tentative nature of the U.S.-China trade agreement raised questions about the effectiveness and seriousness of the U.S. strategy in the region. Meanwhile, Chile's domestic challenges posed a unique test for the APEC summit, with the country managing to maintain its commitments despite the unrest.