Nov 20 (News On Japan) - The 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit successfully concluded in November in Lima, Peru. During this meeting, which brought together leaders from 21 member economies, in-depth discussions were held on topics such as regional economic integration, global trade, and sustainable development.
At the same time, China announced that it would once again host the APEC Summit in 2026, signaling important directions for future cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
At every APEC Summit, the leaders' group photo is a traditional event, often carrying subtle diplomatic signals. In this year's photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping stood in the most prominent position, at the center of the image. According to convention, the photo lineup is usually arranged alphabetically, but host countries make appropriate adjustments. Xi's placement in this position not only reflects China's central role in Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, but also symbolizes its dominant position in global economic affairs.
However, in contrast to President Xi’s central position, U.S. President Joe Biden was placed in the back row, in a corner between the Thai Prime Minister and the Vietnamese President. This arrangement has sparked discussions about the state of U.S.-China relations. While the arrangement of the group photo was not intended to send a direct message, it was seen as a subtle diplomatic signal, especially given the growing strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region in the global economy.
In this year’s APEC summit photo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was unexpectedly absent and did not appear in the group photo. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Ishiba had planned to return to the venue before the photo session, but was caught in severe traffic congestion on his way back from visiting the grave of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Fujimori, who served as president for ten years starting in 1990, passed away in September at the age of 86.
At the conclusion of the summit, China announced that it would host the 2026 APEC Summit. This marks the second time in 12 years that China has been awarded this honor, following the 2014 summit.President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech that China will continue to promote economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, deepen trade and investment liberalization, drive global economic recovery, and create more well-being for the people of the Asia-Pacific region. This move not only reflects China's firm commitment to Asia-Pacific economic integration, but also marks China's increasingly important role in global economic governance.
As the host of the 2026 APEC Summit, China will have the opportunity to further promote its advocated principles of multilateralism and an open economy within the framework of global economic recovery and regional cooperation. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly articulated the importance of economic globalization on international platforms, particularly in the context of global economic slowdown and the rise of unilateralism. He has clearly pointed out that, despite the countercurrent faced by economic globalization, this trend remains irreversible and continues to provide significant momentum for the world economy.
China’s dominant role in APEC is also closely linked to its broader strategy in global economic governance. By promoting regional economic cooperation and strengthening multilateral trade frameworks, China is striving to shape a more inclusive and sustainable global economic environment.
In the current global economic landscape, which is filled with uncertainty, China’s commitment undoubtedly provides new momentum for the Asia-Pacific economy, particularly in advancing trade liberalization and economic integration. However, with the ongoing complexities of great power competition and shifting diplomatic interactions, achieving cooperation and win-win outcomes in such a dynamic international environment will be a shared challenge for all APEC member economies.
