Lima, Peru (DT) — Representatives from 21 Pacific Rim economies are convening in Peru on Friday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, marking the first global summit since U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and featuring several prominent world leaders.
The annual gathering unites countries that together represent nearly two-thirds of global GDP and half of the world’s trade, according to APEC organizers. Confirmed attendees in Lima include outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, China’s President Xi Jinping, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, among others.
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The summit comes as the global community contemplates potential shifts in international relations under new U.S. leadership.
The leaders and representatives are scheduled for private discussions in the morning, followed by an afternoon session with APEC’s business advisory council. On Wednesday, the council urged APEC economies to foster inclusive growth, emphasizing support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, especially those led by women and Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“While the global economy remains resilient, APEC economies are grappling with persistent inflation, economic disparities, high interest rates and the urgent need to increase investments for a green, climate-resilient future,” said council chairwoman Julia Torreblanca.
APEC is bound to be one of Biden’s last before leaving office, and White House officials insist that his attendance as well as his subsequent visit to Brazil for the Group of 20 meeting next week will be substantive, with talks to focus on climate issues, global infrastructure, counter-narcotic efforts. For the first time since last year’s APEC forum, Biden will meet one-on-one with Chinese President Xi on Saturday. He will also meet with South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba and Peru’s President Dina Boluarte.
The officials say Biden also will use the summits to press allies to keep up support for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s invasion and persist in negotiating an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza.
Discontent has been brewing in the middle-class San Borja neighborhood outside Lima’s Convention Center, where the APEC conference is sited. Metal barriers and police equipped with riot gear surround the perimeter where, for the past two days, anti-government protesters angry about a recent spate of gang-fueled violence have shouted slogans demanding that their wildly unpopular presiden t take action against the crime wave.
The rallies have devolved into scuffles with police, who used batons to drive away the more aggressive protesters on Thursday.
SOURCE : AP NEWS | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | AP writer Isabel DeBre contributed