[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




PRAISING THE UPCOMING ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION, APEC, SUMMIT, 
                           BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2005

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
administration's efforts to maintain a robust trade agenda that seeks 
to boost intellectual property protection at the upcoming meeting of 
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, forum in Busan, South 
Korea. No regional institution is more important to promoting U.S. 
interests on anti-counterfeiting and piracy in Asia than APEC.
  The 21 member states of APEC will consider a range of pressing issues 
that include supporting the World Trade Organization's Doha Development 
Round, trade facilitation, and preventing the spread of avian 
influenza.
  APEC partners account for two-thirds of all U.S. trade and are 
playing an important role in the war on terror. In 2004, APEC helped 
put the Doha Round of the WTO's negotiations back on track, and it 
continues to help control the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction and combat regional corruption.
  The APEC region is of great importance to the United States--
geopolitically, militarily, diplomatically, and economically. It 
accounts for some 40 percent of the world's population, over half of 
world trade, approximately 60 percent of world GDP, and a 
disproportionate share of global growth in recent years.
  The United States, Japan, and South Korea are joining forces to 
promote the APEC Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative to fight 
fraud and protect consumers. Under this initiative, APEC will develop 
guidelines for the inspection, seizure and destruction of goods used in 
trading counterfeit and pirated goods. The initiative also provides 
cross-border enforcement mechanisms for APEC members.
  E-commerce is another area where the U.S. is demonstrating leadership 
in protecting intellectual property and data privacy. The U.S. 
continues to support APEC efforts to put in place effective legal 
regimes to ensure appropriate enforcement of e-commerce while 
protecting data collected during online transactions. By working in 
APEC, the U.S. can maximize its ability to engage countries lacking 
proper intellectual property rights protection.
  Recognizing the increasing importance of the Asiatic region to our 
national interests, I strongly support the effort to keep APEC 
energized and at the center of American diplomacy in East Asia.

                          ____________________