I think Xi Jinping playing the unifying voice thingy is a clever move, but it's also a bit concerning
. On one hand, it's great that China is pushing for free and open trade - we need more of that in this world
. But on the other hand, it feels like they're trying to fill the void left by Trump's absence instead of really contributing to the conversation
.
And I'm not sure what's up with APEC's lack of consensus
. It's a great idea to have a framework for regional economic integration, but it needs some serious updates to stay relevant
. Canada and China mending their ties is a good start
, but we need more countries to follow suit.
The North Korea thingy with Japan's new PM Sanae Takaichi was interesting though
. Maybe we'll see some more regional cooperation on that front?
So the US was like "Peace out" on Trump's last summit and Xi Jinping just swooped in and took center stage 
China is trying to be the new America, but let's not forget, they're still a superpower with their own agenda 
. It's interesting how the lack of Trump created an opening for Xi, but I'm worried it's also a sign that APEC needs some serious rebooting 
. Free trade is great and all, but what about climate change and environmental protection? We can't just focus on economic interests all the time 
. And btw, Canada's relationship with China is getting better, so that's a small positive 
. canada and china finally had a meeting and it looks like things are going to get better between them 
but it's also kinda sad that other countries like canada and japan are struggling to make an impact 
mark carney's warning about rules-based free trade is super relevant especially now that the world economy is changing so fast 
and i'm glad canada and china are trying to mend their relationship 
also japan's new pm sanae takaichi seems pretty cool 
her diplomatic debut was smooth sailing which is awesome 
I mean, some countries are like "we need free and open trade" while others are all "rules-based trade is the only way to go" 
what's up with that? 
and Japan's new PM seems pretty chill 
so maybe there's hope for APEC yet 
. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney warning about the end of rules-based free trade was interesting, but it seems like most countries are still looking at China to set an example on free and open trade 
. The lack of consensus on a joint declaration highlighted how fractured APEC is, but Japan's new PM Sanae Takaichi seemed to navigate her diplomatic debut well