China's Xi Dominates APEC Summit as Trump Absents Amid Trade Truce

At the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping emerged as the dominant figure, highlighting Beijing's growing leadership in regional trade and multilateral diplomacy amid U.S. President Donald Trump's absence. Trump, who left South Korea shortly after a trade truce with Xi, skipped the summit, delegating representation to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, signaling a shift from U.S. multilateral engagement to a more protectionist, bilateral approach. Xi advocated for "true multilateralism" and strengthening the World Trade Organization, contrasting China's open trade stance with the U.S.'s tariff-driven policies that have unsettled Asian economies. Xi held key bilateral talks with leaders from Japan, Canada, and Thailand, addressing issues such as Japan's military buildup, trade restrictions, and strained Sino-Canadian relations, seeking to reinforce China's indispensable economic role in the region. Despite Beijing's diplomatic outreach, skepticism persists among regional players wary of China's trade leverage, especially given recent export curbs and political tensions. The summit underscored broader geopolitical fractures but also highlighted China's ambition to shape a cooperative economic order amid global uncertainty and the evolving U.S.-China rivalry.