Biden, Xi To Address Asia-Pacific Leaders On Trade, COVID Recovery, And Fears Of A New Cold War

 

Reuters: Biden, Xi to address Asia-Pacific leaders on trade, COVID recovery  

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to address leaders of the Pacific Rim late on Friday amid heightened regional trade and geopolitical tensions. 

China set the tone for the 21 member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting this week, with Xi warning in a video recording on Thursday that the region must not return to the tensions of the Cold War era. 

The comment was seen as a reference to efforts by the United States and its regional allies to blunt what they see as China's growing coercive economic and military influence. 

Biden is expected to address the gathering that begins midnight New Zealand time, the White House confirmed in a statement, adding he will discuss ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and support global economic recovery.  

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Update: Biden, Xi to address APEC leaders on trade, COVID recovery (Al Jazeera)  

WNU Editor: Chinese President Xi has already posted a video (see top video) .... China's Xi warns of 'Cold War-era' tensions in Asia-Pacific (AFP). More here .... China's Xi calls for more APEC investment in economic, technological cooperation - state media (Reuters).  

Update #2: U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan has responded (see above second video) .... Rivalry With China in Pacific Need Not Lead to New Cold War, Says U.S. Security Advisor (Reuters).

U.S.-China Tensions Heightened With The End Of U.S. Vice President Pence's Trip To Asia

NBC: U.S.-China tensions heightened as Pence ends Asia trip

Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Peter O'Neill, said that "the entire world is worried" about tensions between China and the U.S.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Vice President Mike Pence ended a week-long trip to the Indo-Pacific region on Sunday amid heightened tension between the U.S. and China and just two weeks before President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold formal talks amid the superpowers’ trade war.

On Sunday, the 21 member nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit left Papua New Guinea without agreeing on a final communique. A U.S. official involved in negotiations said China was the only nation to hold out on voting in favor of the proposed text.

“It’s a little concerning that it appears that China didn’t really have any intention in the end of reaching consensus,” the U.S. official said, rejecting reports that the breakdown in the meeting was centered on a rift between the U.S. and China.

“It was between 20 countries and China — not the United States and China,” the official added.

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WNU Editor: The Western media was focused on U.S. - Chinese tensions during the APEC summit, but it is more than that. Many APEC nations are not pleased with China .... from Chinese territorial/boundary demands, to having much of the Chinese market closed to foreign imports while demanding free trade to .... that most APEC members now have their own issues with China that is raising Asian tensions.

No Final Communique In This Year's APEC Summit

The Guardian/AFP: Apec summit fails to agree on statement amid US-China spat

Xi Jinping and Mike Pence trade barbs in their speeches in Papua New Guinea.

Asia-Pacific leaders failed to bridge gaping divisions over trade at a summit dominated by a war of words between the US and China as they vie for regional influence.

For the first time, Apec leaders were unable to agree on a formal written declaration, amid sharp differences between the world’s top two economies over the rules of global trade.

“You know the two big giants in the room. What can I say?” said the host, the Papua New Guinean prime minister, Peter O’Neill, conceding defeat.

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More News On No Final Communique In This Year's APEC Summit

APEC fails to reach consensus as U.S.-China divide deepens -- Reuters
APEC summit wraps with no joint statement amid US-China discord -- CNN
Pacific Summit Ends Without World Leaders Reaching Final Communique Agreement -- Time
Apec summit ends without agreement as US and China’s deep divisions over trade emerge -- SCMP
U.S.-China Divisions Exposed After One Phrase ‘Torpedoed’ Pacific Accord -- The Wall Street Journal
Xi, Pence trade barbs over trade war at APEC summit while selling visions for regional cooperation -- Politico
'Entire world is worried' after rancorous Asia-Pacific trade summit -- John Bacon, USA TODAY

China, Russia Sound Alarm On World Economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) listens to Chinese President Hu Jintao during their meeting at the APEC summit in Vladivostok September 7, 2012. REUTERS/Pool/Maxim Shipenkov

China, Russia Sound Alarm On World Economy At APEC Summit -- Reuters

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - China and Russia sounded the alarm about the state of the global economy at a summit on Saturday and urged Asian-Pacific countries to protect themselves by forging deeper regional economic ties.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said Beijing would do all it could to strengthen the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and boost prospects of a global recovery by rebalancing its economy, Asia's biggest.

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My Comment: Makes you wonder on what do they know that out leaders in the West are not telling us.

At APEC Conference Security Replaces Economics As The Number One Issue

Global Security Trumps Economics At APEC Conference -- Washington Post

HONOLULU — Try as he might to focus Asian and Pacific leaders on forging new economic partnerships during a regional summit here, President Obama has spent as much time in private meetings with his counterparts discussing another pressing concern: national security.

Among the key issues Obama raised in formal bilateral discussions were containing nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea, establishing clear maritime rights in the South China Sea and working out the future of U.S. military forces in Japan, senior White House officials said.

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My Comment: Security will always trump economics .... that is the chief responsibility for the President .... whether it is the U.S., Russia, China .... or anyone else.