GYEONGJU, South Korea, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- World leaders kicked off the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Friday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping taking the spotlight to call for multilateralism and free trade one day after his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump cooled off their simmering trade war.
The two-day gathering brings together the leaders of the 21 APEC member economies, along with guest nations and international organizations, to work on an agenda of trade, sustainable growth and regional integration.
During Friday's first session, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the importance of the annual APEC gathering amid a tumultuous global economic environment.
"We are at a critical juncture, where the international order is undergoing a turbulent transformation," Lee said in his opening remarks. "Cooperation and solidarity are the only sure answers that will lead us to a better future."
Much of the attention leading up to the summit this week was on the highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Xi Thursday in Busan, where the leaders of the two superpowers addressed several contentious trade issues.
