November 1, 2025

A big moment happened when Air Force One flew away from South Korea's Busan airport after US-China talks, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sped off in his shiny Hongqi N701 limousine to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit nearby. US President Donald Trump left after a short 24-hour visit, while Xi settled in warmly among other leaders. This moment shows a big shift in power in the Asia-Pacific region – home to the fastest-growing economies. While the US under Trump pushes "America First" with trade barriers and one-on-one deals, China is playing the hero of free and open trade. At the APEC opening, Xi told the leaders, "We must practice true multilateralism, and enhance the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core." He asked to "update international economic and trade rules to reflect the changing times, so as to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries." But not everyone trusts China. Many Asian countries worry because China shows military strength around the region and uses trade controls as weapons. Trump skipping APEC is a big deal. The US helped start APEC with Australia in 1989 to unite the region’s economies through trade. But Trump's tariffs have shaken things up, causing tough bilateral talks and higher taxes on imports. Casey Mace, a US official at APEC, said America’s presence was still "very strong and robust," but Trump’s schedule just didn’t allow him to stay. Back home, Trump hosted a lively White House Halloween party with First Lady Melania—talk about a quick change of scene! China is using Trump’s unpredictable trade moves to its advantage. It is making new deals and pushing a long-term plan to "safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote broader international economic flows." Just last week, Premier Li Qiang went to Malaysia and signed a stronger China-ASEAN free trade deal. At the ASEAN forum, Trump made four trade deals in six hours but didn’t cut US trade barriers. Instead, some deals added warnings against countries getting too close to China, threatening extra tariffs. Yun Sun from the Stimson Center said, "The upgraded free trade agreement only reinforces China's dominant posture in terms of regional economic engagement." She added US deals are "much more circumstantial and limited." No major breakthroughs are expected at APEC, but Xi’s strong presence sends a clear message: China is sticking close to Asian countries and building relationships. US efforts look sporadic and conditional in comparison. Xi plans meetings with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japan’s new PM Sanae Takaichi, both expected to be tough talks. Many in the region remain wary of China’s power, its trade weaponization, and how cheap Chinese goods flood their markets. China recently said it will tighten rare earths exports, causing waves in fragile global supply chains. Toshihiro Kitamura, a Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson, said, "China is very powerful... but for Japan, it's not true they are champions of the free trade system." Eric Olander of the China Global South Project described China’s strategy as making countries so tied to its economy through trade and infrastructure that they cannot break free. In this grand game of trade and influence, Asia-Pacific’s future looks colorful and contested, with China marching ahead and the US reconsidering its place in the neighborhood.

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Tags: Apec Summit, China-Us Relations, Xi jinping, Donald trump, Free Trade, Asia-Pacific,