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By Vaughn Hillyard
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday completed a weeklong visit to the Indo-Pacific region in the midst of heightened tension between the United States and China. Just two weeks before the meetings of President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping formal talks in the midst of the superpowers' trade war.
On Sunday, the 21 member countries participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit left Papua New Guinea without agreeing on a final communiqué. A US official involved in the negotiations said that China was the only country to refrain from voting in favor of the proposed text.
"It's a bit worrisome that it seems that China really does not intend to reach a consensus," said a US official, rejecting reports that the rift at the meeting was centered on a between the United States and China.
"It was between 20 countries and China – not the United States and China," added the official.
Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O Neill said that "the whole world is worried" about tensions between China and the United States. O 'Neill spoke to a crowd of journalists who surrounded him after confirming that there was no release from the leaders.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "I do not think it's a huge surprise that the visions differ, they prevent any consensus on the communiqué."
During the week, Pence repeatedly mentioned the specter of the official meeting scheduled between Trump and Xi later this month at the G20 summit in Argentina.
But Sunday's clash in a non-binding statement, as well as dueling speeches by Pence and Xi at APEC on Saturday, have left much skepticism about how the two sides can move the talks forward.
Pence told reporters Sunday that he had spoken twice with Xi over the weekend "briefly and sincerely".
The United States is interested in a better relationship "but there must be a change" on the Chinese side, Pence told Xi, adding that the dialogue was important.
The Vice President, however, took the tactics of frank negotiation of the Trump government in his speech to APEC members in a theater aboard a cruise ship on Saturday.
"The United States, however, will not change course until China has changed its behavior," he said in his speech.
Pence continued by implicitly beating China while offering an alternative to other member countries in the region. "Know that the United States offers a better option," he said.
"We do not drown our partners in an ocean of debt, we do not constrain or compromise your independence, the US is open and fair, we do not offer a seat belt or a one-way street. . "
Mr. Pence called on China to give up its military expansion in the South China Sea, to fight against its human rights abuses and to stop the theft of US intellectual property as part of its plan "Made in China 2025".
China's Foreign Ministry rejected American criticism that it was leading other developing countries into debt bondage.
"The assistance provided by China has been warmly welcomed by our partners in this region and beyond," said Wang Xiaolong, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry, during a press conference.
China is a relatively new country in the provision of aid, and its focus on large borrowings and on flawless buying has destabilized Western countries, which have been the main source of finance for developing countries. and have often used this assistance to encourage countries to undertake reforms.
But China has stepped up investment in the Indo-Pacific region, investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects as part of its Belt and Road initiative.
In countries like Papua New Guinea, development is evident, from buildings to new roads and bridges. A sign on a road outside APEC was: "The big" belt and road "is not only a road of cooperation and a win-win situation, but also a road of hope and opportunity. peace!"
And negotiations are continuing between 16 countries, including China but not the United States, for the global regional economic partnership, which would be the largest trade agreement in the world.
The White House is committed to developing bilateral trade agreements following the withdrawal of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017.
"We are here to stay," Pence told reporters.
He added that negotiations for a new agreement between the United States and Japan were under way.
Throughout the week, the Vice President has also been busy presenting new US investment projects, including a partnership with several allied countries to invest in electric infrastructure in Papua New Guinea that would provide adequate food for 70% of the country's population by 2030.
The Trump administration has said it will not give up its stalemate with China.
The United States launched the trade war in March, enforcing tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum. Trump cited the large trade deficit between the two countries.
During the summer, the Trump administration imposed tariffs of $ 250 billion on Chinese products and threatened to double that amount. Xi, meanwhile, has fought back with $ 60 billion of his own tariffs on US products.
On Sunday, as the Vice President's procession entered Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby to leave the area, he flew over Xi's aircraft.
The two countries will now prepare for official talks in Argentina, hoping they will be more productive.
Associated press contributed.
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