With Trump electing to fly back to Washington on the eve of the main summit, what did Apec’s remaining leaders achieve in his absence?
The leaders of countries across the Asia-Pacific are wrapping up their summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, after a week dominated by trade talks between the US president, Donald Trump, and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.
With Trump electing to fly back to Washington on the eve of the main summit, what did Apec’s remaining leaders – who together represent 40% of the world’s population and about 50% of its trade – achieve in his absence?
Having dominated the headlines for several days during visits to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, Donald Trump flew back to Washington on the eve of the Apec summit in Gyeongju, leaving his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, to do his bidding. Whether by accident or design, Trump’s absence allowed Xi to fill the void and position himself as a unifying voice and champion of the region’s economic interests, and an alternative to “America first” protectionism. While Trump – who was showered with extravagant gifts by his Japanese and South Korean counterparts – dished out Halloween sweets at the White House, Xi embarked on a series of high-level bilateral meetings.
