By Katrina Gracia Consebido
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, Nov. 17 said members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the countries in the Indo-Pacific and Asia-Pacific regions have kept the balance between cooperation and competition.
“I think one of the great advantages that APEC and the countries in the Indo-Pacific, Asia-Pacific regions have been able to manage is that very difficult balance between cooperation and competition,” Marcos said in his speech at the 2022 APEC Open Forum- The Global Economy and the Future of APEC.
The President stressed that competition is vital for the growth of every region, so as the partnership that will be established in every successful opportunity.
“And yet we [have] seen, for the most part, I would say we have done it. And what has driven the growth of the region is that we are able to compete with one another,” Marcos added.
“But when we find opportunities where partnerships will give better results, we are all perfectly willing to enter into those partnerships as well,” he continued.
“So that I think is going to be key. We have done it before. It is the nature of APEC. If we continue to do that and strengthen that, I think it will be to the great benefit of all countries,” Marcos said.
Also present in the event were Robert E. Moritz, Global Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of World Economic Forum.