Xi Jinping Likely to Attend November APEC... Will a US-China Summit Take Place?

Wang Yi Hints at Xi Jinping's Possible Attendance at APEC

China has hinted at the possibility of President Xi Jinping attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in the United States this November, drawing attention to whether a US-China summit will take place. It also emphasized that the United States must show sincerity for the successful hosting of APEC.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister (Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China), said at a press conference held in Beijing on the 26th, in response to a question about President Xi's attendance at the APEC summit, "China is a responsible country, and we have never missed (been absent from) important multilateral meetings that China participates in." He added, "Regarding the APEC schedule, we are maintaining communication with all parties," and explained, "We will formally announce the news at an appropriate time."

Minister Wang Yi's remarks seem to suggest a high possibility that President Xi will attend the APEC summit. Accordingly, attention is also focused on whether a US-China summit will be held during the APEC summit in San Francisco this November. The last meeting between the two leaders was on the sidelines of the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia, last November.

Minister Wang said, "Multilateral diplomacy is an important foundation for China's participation in global governance and the promotion of a community with a shared future for mankind," adding, "It is naturally an important platform for summit diplomacy." He further stated, "President Xi attaches great importance to multilateral diplomacy, and China's role in global governance is increasingly growing."

He continued, "APEC is the highest-level, broadest, and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region," emphasizing, "The 30th informal summit scheduled for the end of this year should be a grand stage to promote cooperation, not an arena to incite confrontation." He also added, "As the world's largest developing country and a major member of APEC, China hopes to play a constructive role in the success of this year's APEC in response to the expectations of the international community."

Minister Wang Yi stated, "Like other parties, we hope the United States, as the host country, realizes the need to demonstrate openness, fairness, inclusiveness, and responsibility," and said, "We look forward to creating better conditions for the smooth holding of the meeting."