The handover ceremony took place at around noon, with Prayut saying the chalom – the traditional Thai basket and this year’s Apec logo – represented strength, flexibility and consistency. He said he hoped the US would uphold Apec’s aims and visions when it hosts the next summit. “We hope the BCG [bio-circular-green] economic model will also be one of the main factors that bring economies together,” he added. Prayut said he hopes the US and other economies would work together to help the Asia-Pacific region prosper, adding that the world is undergoing significant change and that environment and sustainability are crucial. The next APEC meeting will be held in San Francisco.
