PORT MORESBY, Nov 18 — A Chinese official said today that Asia-Pacific leaders could not issue the traditional communique at the end of the regional APEC forum, held in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

PNG will instead issue a "chairman’s statement”, said Zhang Shaogang, director-general of China’s international department at the Ministry of Commerce.

Conflicting visions for the region had made it difficult to draft a summit communique, PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato told Reuters earlier today, as the United States and China revealed competing ambitions for the region. — Reuters