Danang (Vietnam), Nov 8 (EFE) .- Inclusive growth and the digital economy center the debate of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) that began today in Danang (Vietnam) with the meeting of Foreign Ministers and Trade of its 21 economies.

The two issues were proposed by APEC senior officials, who met the two days before set the priorities of the dialogue of this economic forum in which leaders from 21 countries will participate and which will close on Saturday.

In the opening speech of the meeting, the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Pham Binh Minh, stressed that the fourth industrial revolution, marked by digital technology, "generates hopes for greater productivity but also anxieties. "

The chancellor also defended the need to promote" a new dynamism "based on cooperation and regional integration to face the risks to the that the economy is facing, that they have become "more acute".

Among these threats he cited the increase in inequalities, regional tensions, terrorism, natural disasters and cybersecurity.

Minh said the summit will revolve around four axes: promoting innovative, inclusive and sustainable trade; small and medium enterprises in the digital era; debate of the meeting of political and business leaders that will officially begin in the afternoon, although most of the leaders will arrive in Danang between Thursday and Friday.

Entre they are the presidents of the United States, Donald Trump; scheduled for Friday.

APEC consists of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, South Korea, the United States, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Taipei, Thailand and Vietnam.

The bloc accounts for 59 percent of world GDP, 49 percent of global trade and forms a market of about 2,850 million consumers.