Free and open trade 'is imperative to sustainable growth'

The APEC grouping of nations and regions has been injected with a "new vitality" following the conclusion of its summit meeting on Tuesday, with a declaration reaffirming the pledge to drive global economic recovery.

Wang Yusheng, China's former senior official at APEC, said leaders at the premier economic forum had reached a broad consensus echoing the summit's theme of "Resilient Asia-Pacific, engine of global growth".