On 6-10 May Stephen was in Qingdao, China, attending meetings of APEC Senior Officials. On 6 May he addressed a workshop aimed at helping APEC economies to prepare for FTA negotiations. He spoke about the importance of consulting with the business community:
“More than ever before trade policy is becoming intrinsically linked with domestic economic policy as the implications of trade agreements reach far deeper into domestic policy settings particularly in terms of policies related to foreign investment, innovation and competition.
As the negotiating agenda has become more sophisticated, trade negotiators have been obliged to consult more fully with public stakeholders, especially business, and to interact more frequently with domestic agencies for advice as they confront a range of policy issues with which they are not accustomed.
In this context the need for a properly informed basis on which to make policy decisions for translation into trade and economic agreements is critical.”