APEC Summit in South Korea: Xi Jinping Seizes Opportunity to Fill Void Left by Trump's Absence
The week-long APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, has come to a close with a flurry of diplomatic activity, but the absence of US President Donald Trump had allowed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to fill the void and position himself as a unifying voice for regional economic interests. As Trump flew back to Washington on the eve of the summit, leaving his treasury secretary to do his bidding, Xi embarked on a series of high-level bilateral meetings that showcased China's commitment to free and open trade.
The two-day summit was overshadowed by the US-China tariff truce negotiated earlier in the week, but it provided an opportunity for other leaders to amplify their messages. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used the platform to warn about the end of rules-based free trade, while Xi called on his counterparts to join him in championing the cause. The lack of consensus on a joint declaration highlighted the fractured nature of APEC, a loose coalition of countries united by little more than geography and divided along deep political and economic fault lines.
Despite these challenges, the summit did see some positive developments, including renewed efforts between Canada and China to mend their bilateral ties. The two nations had been at odds over trade and other issues, but a meeting between Carney and Xi marked a turning point in their relationship. The Canadian statement described the encounter as a "turning point," suggesting that improved relations could be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Japan's newly installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi navigated her whirlwind diplomatic debut with relative ease, giving early indications that foreign policy might not be an Achilles' heel for her. Her meetings with Xi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted overlapping interests between Japan and its regional neighbors when it comes to North Korea.
As APEC heads into life support mode, the summit in Gyeongju serves as a reminder of the need for collective action on trade and economic issues that dominate the region's agenda. The absence of Trump had allowed Xi Jinping to seize the initiative, but it remains to be seen whether this momentum can be sustained in the face of deepening divisions within APEC.
The 21-member bloc is struggling to find common ground as countries with differing interests and ideologies seek to navigate the complex web of trade relationships. With the world dramatically different from when APEC was founded in 1989, its foundation – a framework for regional economic integration – seems increasingly outdated.
Despite these challenges, there are signs that some nations are working towards renewed cooperation. Canada's efforts to rebuild ties with China are just one example of this trend. As the global economy continues to evolve, APEC must find ways to adapt and address the pressing issues of our time – from trade tensions to climate change.
The week-long APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, has come to a close with a flurry of diplomatic activity, but the absence of US President Donald Trump had allowed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to fill the void and position himself as a unifying voice for regional economic interests. As Trump flew back to Washington on the eve of the summit, leaving his treasury secretary to do his bidding, Xi embarked on a series of high-level bilateral meetings that showcased China's commitment to free and open trade.
The two-day summit was overshadowed by the US-China tariff truce negotiated earlier in the week, but it provided an opportunity for other leaders to amplify their messages. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used the platform to warn about the end of rules-based free trade, while Xi called on his counterparts to join him in championing the cause. The lack of consensus on a joint declaration highlighted the fractured nature of APEC, a loose coalition of countries united by little more than geography and divided along deep political and economic fault lines.
Despite these challenges, the summit did see some positive developments, including renewed efforts between Canada and China to mend their bilateral ties. The two nations had been at odds over trade and other issues, but a meeting between Carney and Xi marked a turning point in their relationship. The Canadian statement described the encounter as a "turning point," suggesting that improved relations could be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Japan's newly installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi navigated her whirlwind diplomatic debut with relative ease, giving early indications that foreign policy might not be an Achilles' heel for her. Her meetings with Xi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted overlapping interests between Japan and its regional neighbors when it comes to North Korea.
As APEC heads into life support mode, the summit in Gyeongju serves as a reminder of the need for collective action on trade and economic issues that dominate the region's agenda. The absence of Trump had allowed Xi Jinping to seize the initiative, but it remains to be seen whether this momentum can be sustained in the face of deepening divisions within APEC.
The 21-member bloc is struggling to find common ground as countries with differing interests and ideologies seek to navigate the complex web of trade relationships. With the world dramatically different from when APEC was founded in 1989, its foundation – a framework for regional economic integration – seems increasingly outdated.
Despite these challenges, there are signs that some nations are working towards renewed cooperation. Canada's efforts to rebuild ties with China are just one example of this trend. As the global economy continues to evolve, APEC must find ways to adapt and address the pressing issues of our time – from trade tensions to climate change.
xi jinping just swooped in while trump was nowhere to be found and suddenly he's the unifying voice 
but at the same time its like the other countries r all still tryna figure out what they wanna do and how to work together i mean canada and china had a major breakthrough tho 
their trade issues are finally startin to get resolved which is dope. japan's new pm took a big step forward too 
navigating her diplomacy thingy seems pretty smooth for now. but at the end of the day its all good because they got some stuff done 
. It's like the whole region is just trying to figure out how to work together without each other completely falling apart 
. I mean, China stepping up and filling that void left by Trump's absence was a good move for them, but it also showed how fragmented things are within APEC.
. And what's going on with Japan and South Korea? It feels like they're trying to find common ground, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough.
. The global economy is more complex than ever, and APEC needs to adapt quickly or risk getting left behind 
. Maybe we'll see some positive developments down the line, but for now, I'm just keeping a close eye on things 
. He definitely seemed to make the most of his absence 
. China seems like they're serious about free and open trade 
, but we'll see if that holds up in the long run 
. Canada's warnings about rules-based trade are valid, though - I think a lot of countries are feeling the pressure from Trump's protectionism policies 
.
, and it's cool to see Japan and South Korea working together on North Korea 
️. But, yeah, APEC is struggling to find common ground 
. We need some fresh ideas for how they can work together on trade and climate change issues 
... it feels like we're just going through the motions sometimes 
. I guess it's all part of trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world 
. What do you guys think - can APEC adapt and thrive, or are they just a relic of the past? 
! It's crazy how much attention is on Xi Jinping now that Trump isn't there! China seems like it's trying super hard to be all about free & open trade... interesting 
. Can't say I'm surprised by the mixed vibes from APEC tho, still a pretty fractured group 
. Xi Jinping might've taken advantage of Trump's absence, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows for China 
. Canada's Mark Carney's warnings about free trade are super valid, and Japan's Sanae Takaichi is doing a solid job navigating her diplomatic debut 
That's the million-dollar question 
. Anyway, I think it's cool that Canada and China are trying to rebuild their ties 
. Fingers crossed for APEC! 
. It's clear that China is not going to let an opportunity like this pass them by 
. And what's up with Japan's new PM Sanae Takaichi? She seems to be doing alright in her debut 
. One thing's for sure, though: APEC needs a serious reboot 
.
i feel like apec is so outdated man... it's 2025 and we're still dealing with all these same old trade tensions and economic stuff... can't they just get on the same page already? 
The fact that Xi Jinping was able to swoop in and fill the void left by Trump's absence is pretty telling, don't you think? 
China's all about free and open trade, which is music to everyone else's ears. It's like they're speaking our language, right? 
. On the other hand, it's great to see some positive developments like Canada and China mending their ties 
. And Japan's new PM looks like she's got her foreign policy game on point 
! But seriously, we need to find ways for APEC to adapt to the changing global landscape - trade tensions and climate change are major issues that need addressing 
? It's crazy how much momentum he gained while Trump was MIA. I guess you could say he filled the void left by Trump's absence, but it feels kinda dirty 
.
.
. We can't keep going on like this with all these divisions and lack of consensus. The global economy is changing so fast, and we need to adapt 
.
i mean, can't say it wasn't expected, but still, a chinese president getting all the love at an apec summit? 
. on the other hand, japan's new pm sanae takaichi seems like she knows what she's doing for once 
. still, apec feels like it's stuck in a rut... maybe it's time to revamp the whole thing 
and canada china are like finally being friends again after being super salty towards each other 
. meanwhile, xi jinping is just over here filling in the void left by trump and pretending to be the unifying voice for regional economic interests lol who needs actual results when you can have a nice diplomatic photo op 
, with xi jinping basically taking over as the regional unifying voice 
. canada's mark carney just gave this whole "end of rules-based free trade" vibe 
. can't wait to see how all these nations actually work together on trade and economic issues 
meanwhile, us is still on their own thing 
... anyway, canada's trying to get back into china's good books 
... all these countries united by geography but divided by politics & economy 
still, there are some good signs - canada & china might get their act together 
. It can't just be about one leader trying to fill the void, we need more collective action from all member countries 
. xi jinping is basically the unifying voice for chinese interests, lol what about everyone else?