LIMA - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Asia-Pacific leaders Saturday to get on board with Beijing-backed free trade agreements, after Donald Trump's election win spelled the likely demise of a US-backed deal. In a Pacific region hungry for trade, that has left even longtime US allies like Australia and Japan looking to China to fill the void. Xi urged regional leaders to advance both deals at a summit in Lima, Peru, where the uncertainty unleashed on the world stage by Trump's victory loomed large. "Building a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific is a strategic initiative critical for the long-term prosperity of the Asia-Pacific," Xi said in a keynote address to business leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group. Obama and Xi, the leaders of the world's top two economies, were due to hold their last meeting later Saturday.

Source: Bangkok Post November 19, 2016 16:46 UTC