The APEC summit managed some commendable achievements, including pointing to a path toward establishing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and drafting a growth strategy for the region, but the 21 members are now facing political struggles in achieving the pact, experts said.
A primary focus was exploring a process by which to forge FTAAP, and the Pacific Rim leaders agreed that it "should be pursued as a comprehensive free-trade agreement by developing and building on ongoing regional undertakings, such as ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus Six and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, among others," their statement said.
According to Japanese government officials who briefed the press on the meeting on condition of anonymity, getting all the member economies on the same FTAAP page was the most difficult task.