Countries in the region became politically more stable and open. The region developed a sense of shared interests and a sense of community. The foundation and consolidation of APEC was a visible sign of this. Many of these benefits are now threatened. At a human level, unemployment has increased massively.
Families face great hardship.
Food shortages and malnutrition have reappeared. Children are being withdrawn from school. The internal political pressures created by these developments are immense. Relationships between countries are tested. The most important aim of these countries and the region as a whole therefore must be to get back on to the path of sustained growth as soon as possible.