This vote is about the ability of U.S. firms to compete abroad, and it is about America's continued leadership of a trade and financial world it has led for 50 years. Events of these past few months make clear our economic interests depend on our having the flexibility and the authority to continue that leadership. We still need it. This year, if we are to continue building the kind of Pacific community envisioned at Blake Island, APEC leaders in Vancouver will have to deal with today's immediate issues, issues related to how the region's economies can adjust to their recent economic difficulties, pursue necessary reform, and get back on the path to strong, sustainable economic growth. U.S. involvement in support of the IMF program for Indonesia is a visible sign of that interest.
Improvement requires a steadfast commitment and demonstrated effort.
That process of adjustment is never instantaneous. Second, APEC is in the process of identifying sectors for Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization. Third, the U.S. is committed to providing concrete results that make a difference to business, to move beyond seminars, dialogue, web pages and databases. APEC should be used to clear the trade underbrush, find an idea, find some like-minded members, and then push the idea forward. The U.S. will accelerate work to build a network of natural gas delivery by combining government facilitation and business action, official policy, and private practice.