LIMA,PERU—Leadersof21Asia-PacificnationshaveendedtheirannualsummitwithacalltoresistprotectionismandprotecttheTrans-PacificPartnership(TPP)tradepact,whichhasbeenthrownintouncertaintyaftertheelectionofDonaldTrumpasU.S.president.
TheAsiaPacificEconomicCooperationforumclosedSundayinLima,Peru,withajointpledgetoworktowardasweepingnewfreetradeagreementthatwouldincludeall21membersasapathto"sustainable,balancedandinclusivegrowth,''despitethepoliticalclimate.
TrumpstronglycriticizedtheTPP--whichincludestheUnitedStatesbutnotChina--duringanelectioncampaignnotableforhisstrongcriticismofU.S.freetradedeals.
Butatanewsconferenceattheendofthesummit,U.S.PresidentBarackObamasaidtheUnitedStatesshouldnotretreatfromglobaltrade,butshouldseekto"dotraderight''sothatworkersareprotectedandenvironmentalstandardsareupheld.
Obamasaidit'stimefortheU.S.toreaffirmitssupportfortheTPPtradedeal.HesaidifTrumpwithdrawstheU.S.fromthepact,itwillbeaweakerdealandtheU.S.wouldloseanopportunitytoshapetherulesofglobaltrade"inawaythatreflectsourvalues."
Earlierintheday,ObamaandRussianPresidentVladimirPutinhadbrieftalksaboutSyriaandUkraineonthesidelinesoftheAPECsummitinLima,Peru,theWhiteHousesaid,intheirfirstface-to-faceencountersincetheelectionvictoryofDonaldTrump.
ObamalatertoldreportersheencouragedPutintoupholdRussia'scommitmentsundertheMinskdealaimedatendingtheUkraineconflict.BoththeWhiteHouseandtheKremlinsaidtheleadersagreedthatU.S.SecretaryofStateJohnKerryandRussianForeignMinisterSergeiLavrovshouldkeepworkingoninitiativestodecreasetheviolenceinSyriaandalleviatesuffering.
Putin,speakinglaterinLima,saidheandObamanotedthatwhiletheirworkingrelationshiphadbeendifficult,they'd"alwaysrespectedeachother'spositions,andeachother."
TheRussianleaderalsosaidTrumphasconfirmedtohimheiswillingtomendties.
"Thepresident-electconfirmedheiswillingtonormalizeRussian-Americanrelations.Itoldhimthesame.Wedidnotdiscusswhereandwhenwewouldmeet."
Barringunforeseencircumstances,thisisthe52ndandfinalforeigntripofObama’seightyearsintheWhiteHouse.
AcornerstoneofObama’sforeignpolicywasafocusonAsiaandthePacific,theso-calledAsia-Pacificre-balance,butthatcouldchangesubstantiallyafterheleavesofficeinnineweeks.
OnSaturday,ObamahadamessageSaturdayfor1,000youngleadersfromalloverLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanonPresident-electTrump:"Don'tassumetheworst."
Speakingatatown-hallstylemeetinginPeru'scapital,ObamatookseveralquestionsfromyoungpeopleintheaudiencewhowereanxiousaboutthefutureastheU.S.presidencychangeshands.
Obamacalledonthemtobeoptimistic,advisingthatnoonecanmakethingsbetterunlesstheyhavehope.
"Ithinkitwillbeimportantforeverybodyaroundtheworldtonotmakeimmediatejudgments,butgivethisnewpresident-electachancetoput[his]teamtogether,toexaminetheissues,todeterminewhattheirpolicieswillbe,"Obamasaid.
"Howyoucampaignisnotalwayshowyougovern,"headded.
ThepresidentappearedtobeinhiselementinteractingwithyoungpeopleinPeruSaturday,inameetingsimilartomanyothertown-hallgatheringshehastakenpartinduringprevioustripsacrossAsia,EuropeandAfrica.
Obamareceivedarockstar'swelcomefromthecrowd,andhesoughttoreassureeveryoneinhisyouthfulaudience,partoftheYoungLeadersofAmericainitiative,thattheycanwritetheirownhistory.Althoughhistimeaspresidentiscomingtoanend,Obamasaid,theworldwidenetworkofencouragingentrepreneurshipamongyoungpeopleisjustbeginning:"ThemainmessageIwantyoutoknowisthatyouhaveapartnerinme,andyouhaveapartnerintheU.S.government."
Afterthetownhall,ObamaheldabilateralmeetingwithChinesePresidentXiJinping.Inbriefremarkstoreportersbeforehand,Xiexpressedconcern.
"WemeetatahingemomentintheChina-U.S.relationship.Ihopethetwosideswillworktogethertofocusoncooperation,manageourdifferencesandmakesurethereisasmoothtransitionintherelationship,andthatitwillcontinuetogrowgoingforward,"Xisaid.
Afterthetwoleadersmet,theWhiteHousereleasedastatementsaying:"Thetwoleadersreflectedonthesignificantprogresstheyhaveachievedinstrengtheningthebilateralrelationshipthroughsustainedengagement."
U.S.officialssaidObamaandXiaddressedthethreatpresentedbyNorthKorea'seffortstoadvanceitsnuclearweaponsandballisticmissilesystemsandaffirmedtheirfirmcommitmenttoachievingdenuclearizationoftheKoreanPeninsula.
TheChineseandAmericanpresidentsalsopointedtotherecentParisAgreementtocombatclimatechangeasanexampleoftheirtwocountries'progress,anditsbenefitstotheinternationalcommunity.
EuropeanandAsianleadershaveexpressedconcernaboutPresident-electTrump'sskepticalstatementsaboutclimate-changeefforts,internationaltradeagreementsandinternationalsecurityalliances.
LatinAmericanleadersincludingPeruvianPresidentPedroPabloKuczynskialsosaytheyareconcernedaboutTrump'savowedplantoactquicklyandfirmlytocloseU.S.borderstoallLatinoimmigrantstryingtoentertheUnitedStateswithinadequatedocumentation.
ObamahassoughttoreassureforeignleadersaboutAmerica'scommitmenttobedrockdemocraticprinciplesandalliances,pointingtohispubliccommentsthroughouthiscurrenttripabroad,whichbeganinGreeceandGermanybeforebringinghimtoPeru.
TrumpmetwithJapanesePrimeMinisterShinzoAbeinNewYorkonThursday,afterObamaalreadyhadleftWashingtonforEurope.AbesaidafterwardthathethoughtTrumpwasa"trustworthyleader."
TrumppostedonhisFacebookpage,"ItwasapleasuretohavePrimeMinisterShinzoAbestopbymyhomeandbeginagreatfriendship."
EarlierSaturday,ObamametwithPeru'spresidentandwithleadersoftheTrans-PacificPartnershipcountries.Hetriedtohighlightamutualcommitmenttofreetradeandtocreatinggoodjobs,butObamahashadtoconcedethattheU.S.CongresswillnottakeuptheTPPissuenowthatTrumphasbeenelected.
ThepresidenttoldtheyoungpeopleathistownhallmeetinghedoesnotanticipatethenewadministrationwillmakemajorchangeinU.S.economicpolicytowardLatinAmerica.However,hewarned:"Therearegoingtobetensionsthataregoingtorise,probablyaroundtrademorethananythingelse."
