Duterte now in Papua New Guinea for APEC meet

The United States will not back down from its trade dispute with China, and might even double its tariffs, unless Beijing bows to US demands, Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday.

"We have taken decisive action to address our imbalance with China", Mr. Pence declared.

The White House says its tariffs are a response to China's "unfair" trade policies.

Apec, a 21-member economic grouping of which Malaysia is part of, comprises both rich and poor nations like the United States, Russia, China, Mexico, and Papua New Guinea.

TOUCHDOWN President Duterte is welcomed at Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby by Papua New Guinea officials led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Treasury Charles Abel and Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato, as well as Philippine Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano (right).

"It is the bilateral meetings, the sideline meetings that perhaps tell us more about what's going on here", Thomas said.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is not attending the APEC meeting, is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina.

Speaking before Pence, Xi said there was no geopolitical agenda behind the Belt and Road plan, which was unveiled in 2013 and aims to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

China has denied that USA companies are forced to transfer technology and sees US demands on rolling back its industrial policies as an attempt to contain China's economic rise.

"We filled forms for passes - with the global media - yesterday, around midday, thinking the issue of (airport) access would have been resolved by now".

"History has shown that confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, will produce no winners", he told leaders gathered in Papua New Guinea's capital for the summit. It is a small country, small economy, but with huge potential. "The United States deals openly and fairly - and we don't offer a constricting belt or a one-way road".

"The United States will partner with Papua New Guinea and Australia on their joint initiative at Lombrum Naval Base", Mr Pence said.

Just minutes earlier, Mr. Xi had spoken at length about his initiative and the need for free trade across the region.

"Tit-for-tat protectionism and threats of trade wars are in no one's interest economically and undermine the authority of the global and regional trade rules that benefit us all", said Scott Morrison.