APEC: 2019 and Beyond
Wendy Cutler at the Center for Strategic & International Studies
ASPI Vice President Wendy Cutler joined a panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on February 5 to discuss the future of APEC in 2019 and beyond.
Over her career at the U.S. Trade Representative, Cutler handled the APEC portfolio. She states that APEC got a “bad rap” in 2018 because, for the first time in its history, the group failed to reach an agreement on a leaders’ statement. This was in large part because of the U.S.-China trade dispute and Cutler believes the dispute overshadowed APEC's "instrumental role in identifying, introducing, raising the comfort level, and addressing the evolving and emerging issues in the international trading system.”
Cutler also highlights the value of APEC’s informal process in cultivating creativity and candid discussion on issues, and the benefit of APEC’s work programs and seminars for information sharing among APEC countries. Looking to the future of APEC, she belives the body can play a role in addressing the complex issues related to emerging technologies and the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Cutler is optimistic about APEC's future, expressing confidence in the upcoming hosts, including Chile, Malaysia, and New Zealand, in the coming years.