Xi Jinping Dominates APEC Summit as Trump Departs Early

U.S. President Donald Trump skipped the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea after a brief, under two-hour meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who remained to address the forum and promote multilateralism. Trump's early departure underscored his preference for bilateral diplomacy over multilateral forums and raised concerns about the potential impact on America's influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Xi seized the opportunity to position China as a champion of global free trade and multilateral cooperation, calling for updated trade rules and greater support for the World Trade Organization amid increasing global economic volatility. Despite Trump's absence, U.S. officials maintained that American participation at APEC remained strong, though analysts noted a perceived lack of a coherent strategy in Trump's Asia policy. Xi emphasized the importance of maintaining supply chain stability, expanding green industry cooperation, and keeping China open for investment, contrasting with the U.S. administration's protectionist stance. This dynamic highlighted a widening power vacuum in global economic leadership as China sought to fill the diplomatic space left by the United States.