Trade and foreign ministers from the United States, China and other economies around the Pacific Rim called on Thursday for new free trade deals as a way out of the global economic crisis. The ministers' recommendations to avoid raising tariff barriers and to deepen economic integration among members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, trade group, will be presented to a summit of leaders at the weekend. US President George W. Bush and the leaders of other APEC countries, which together account for more than half of global economic output, are expected to use the summit to give another push to the long-stalled world trade talks known as the Doha round. “We insist that at these times of crisis we are against any protectionist sentiment and we reaffirm our commitment to opening trade and to investment,” Peru's Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia told a news conference. Nine members of APEC are also in the G20 group of leading economies that last week agreed to take fiscal stimulus measures to stave off a deep recession. The ministers meeting in Lima said they supported recommendations from the G20 group, including more funds for the International Monetary Fund to support emerging economies, and reviews of major global banks. The leaders, from countries such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, Chile, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia, will meet in Lima's fortified defense ministry as thousands of police patrol the coastal capital to prevent an attack by leftist guerrillas who recently stepped up activities around the country. Several countries were busy advancing bilateral or multilateral trade agreements during the APEC meetings. Peru and China said on Wednesday that they had concluded talks for a trade pact that could be signed by March. Chinese President Hu Jintao is the first Chinese leader to ever visit Peru. He brought dozens of officials and business leaders with him, raising hopes for large Chinese investment in Peru and elsewhere in resource-rich Latin America. Also, the United States, Australia and Peru agreed to start negotiations on a free-trade agreement with the so-called “P4” countries - Singapore, Chile, Brunei and New Zealand - a New Zealand official said on Thursday. “We're trying to work through the economic turmoil and this is part of the answer,” said New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser. In September, the United States said it will begin the negotiations early next year and hopes the deal will grow into an even larger trade pact.
