LIMA, Peru: Leaders of Asia and the Americas faced mounting pressure Friday to stop the spread of the money crisis and resuscitate moribund free-trade talks as they flew into Lima for a weekend summit.
At the top of the agenda for the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was pushing forward a declaration drafted at the Group of 20 summit last weekend in Washington and working to prevent new barriers to trade.
Leaders and experts in Lima, pointing to the past week of sharp plunges on stock sales in the Homeland and Asia, said much more action is needed to protect world economies.
"Countries should enhance certainty ... and take prompt and effective measures, including all necessary fiscal and monetary means to stop the spread of the money crisis," Chinese leader Hu Jintao told a meeting of Presidents on Friday.
Nine of APEC's 21 members were at the Washington summit, and the leaders and economists in Lima warned against a retreat to protectionism, saying it would only deepen the turmoil.
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