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Asia-Pacific Summit: Xi arrives in Lima to meet Biden

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Lima on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific summit, on the sidelines of which he will meet his American counterpart Joe Biden, in a climate of uncertainty marked by the return to the White House in January of Donald Trump.

The plane carrying Mr. Xi landed at around 1:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT) at a military base near the Peruvian capital.

Joe Biden is expected the same day in Lima where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is taking place, which brings together 21 countries accounting for 60% of the world's GDP and which opened Thursday with a closed-door ministerial meeting. The heads of state or government will meet in turn on Friday and Saturday.

The leaders of the two superpowers are scheduled to meet on Saturday on the sidelines of this summit. This will be their third meeting. Both will then go to the G20 in Brazil next week.

Democrat Joe Biden, 81, will hand over the reins in January to Republican Donald Trump, winner of the November 5 election, who has already appointed hardliners against Beijing to his team.

Asia-Pacific Summit: Xi arrives in Lima to meet Biden

Preparations for the APEC summit in Lima, November 13, 2024 in Peru © AFP – Luis ACOSTA

The outgoing president “will take the opportunity to take stock of efforts to manage competition responsibly,” according to a senior American official.

Despite “deep disagreements,” China and the United States have “made progress in areas of common interest,” she assured, citing the improvement of military communications and the fight against the trafficking of synthetic drugs.

Joe Biden's mandate has been marked by strong tensions with Beijing but also by the maintenance, as best he could, of bilateral dialogue.

Asia-Pacific Summit: Xi arrives in Lima to meet Biden

US President Joe Biden (r) and President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, November 13, 2024 in Washington © AFP – SAUL LOEB

However, the situation risks deteriorating under his successor.

During the election campaign, Donald Trump promised to defend American industry, threatening to apply customs duties of 10 to 20% on all imported products and up to 60% for those coming from China.

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This Asian giant, the world's second-largest economy, is struggling with a real estate crisis and sluggish consumption that could worsen with the return to the White House of the Republican tycoon.

– Megaport financed by Beijing –

“I think the only thing that the leaders of APEC and the G20 will talk about is the one world leader who is not here, Donald Trump,” said Victor Cha, the chairman of the geopolitics and foreign policy department of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

The discussions will focus on what we can “expect from the incoming Trump administration in terms of trade, alliances and (concerning) other issues,” he added during a press conference this week in the capital American.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is taking part in the ministerial meeting alongside US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Thursday. The aim is to highlight the United States' commitment to supporting growth in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of competition from China.

Xi Jinping plans to inaugurate the new megaport of Chancay, located north of Lima, with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte at the end of the day.

Asia-Pacific Summit: Xi arrives in Lima to meet Biden

The megaport of Chancay, north of Lima, on October 29, 2024 in Peru © AFP – Cris BOURONCLE

Funded by China to the tune of 3.5 billion dollars (3.3 billion euros), the terminal, which will eventually have 15 docks, illustrates Beijing's growing influence in Latin America, once considered the preserve of the United States.

In an article published Thursday by the Peruvian official newspaper El Peruano, Xi Jinping said he was willing with Peru to “promote true multilateralism, an egalitarian and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.”

Since 1989, APEC has aimed to promote economic growth, cooperation and investment in the Pacific region. Its members also include Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Chile, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Russia.

Asia-Pacific Summit: Xi arrives in Lima to meet Biden

Clashes between police and protesters on the eve of the APEC Summit, November 13, 2024 in Lima, Peru © AFP – Hugo CUROTTO

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Russian Head of State Vladimir Putin will be absent.

Mr. Biden will meet on Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, two of his key allies in Asia.

More than 13,000 police officers have been deployed to the Peruvian capital, a city of 10 million people, to bolster security during the summit, as protests are held over a rise in extortion and murders linked to organized crime.

All rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse

Teilor Stone

By Teilor Stone

Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116