Trump Skips APEC Summit, Risks Damaging US Reputation Amid Rising China Influence
Trump skips key APEC summit, raising questions over US Asia strategy.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to leave South Korea before the start of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit starkly signals his dismissive attitude toward large multilateral platforms. After a high-profile 1 hour 40 minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, Trump boarded a plane back to Washington just as the official summit kicked off, foregoing the collective diplomacy traditionally expected at such forums.
Trump’s preference for one-on-one diplomacy contrasts sharply with China’s approach. While Trump skipped the broader APEC engagement, Xi remained to push China’s agenda, seeking to fill any void left by the United States. This difference in participation reflects contrasting visions of regional leadership as well as the growing challenge China poses to US influence in Asia.
Although Trump heralded his meeting with Xi as a reaffirmation of the “G2” US-China status, analysts view the US strategy under his administration as lacking a coherent Asia policy. Critics say Trump’s approach risks eroding alliances and the US role in shaping the region’s economic landscape, which is vital to nearly 40% of the world’s population and more than half its goods trade. South Korea and other key economies remain wary of US trade unilateralism, which complicates consensus-building at APEC.
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Even without Trump, the summit is addressing critical issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and the challenges of aging populations. Yet experts caution that the overarching narrative is China’s rising economic leadership as it pitches itself as the defender of free trade and globalization—an image bolstered by Premier Li Qiang’s recent ASEAN meetings. Chinese state media has spotlighted Xi’s upcoming APEC speech as offering “Chinese wisdom” amid global uncertainty, signaling China’s ambitions to lead in a post-US era.
Trump’s no-show epitomizes a shift in US diplomatic engagement in Asia that may reshape regional dynamics. Whether this heralds a long-term decline in US influence or a recalibration of its Asia strategy remains to be seen, but for now it allows China to step forward as a dominant player on the APEC stage.
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