Multiple Diplomatic Sources: "Xi Jinping to Skip UN Assembly"
President Lee Invites Xi Jinping
Trump Attended APEC During His First Term
There is growing speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may hold a face-to-face summit on the sidelines of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Leaders' Meeting scheduled to take place in South Korea this November.
On June 13, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing multiple diplomatic sources, reported that President Xi is unlikely to visit the United States for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September, despite an invitation from President Trump. A summit between the two leaders requires months of advance coordination, and the UN General Assembly had been considered the earliest possible occasion for such a meeting. However, according to the report, President Xi will not attend the assembly, and instead, Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the event.
President Trump has consistently expressed his desire for direct talks with President Xi since his re-election. Although the two leaders held a phone call on June 5, there was no mention of a concrete meeting schedule. Subsequently, during a high-level U.S.-China meeting in London, both sides agreed on a basic framework for implementing the Geneva tariff truce, which signaled a more conciliatory negotiating atmosphere.
With President Xi’s absence from the UN General Assembly and the possibility of his participation in APEC being raised, some observers speculate that President Trump may attend the APEC summit and meet with President Xi there. It is reported that President Xi is considering attending APEC following an invitation from President Lee Jaemyung. President Trump officially attended the APEC summit in Da Nang, Vietnam, in November 2017 during his first term in office. That was his first participation in APEC.
Diao Daming, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, stated, "Based on past experience, APEC has provided U.S. presidents with an opportunity to engage simultaneously with major Asia-Pacific countries."
However, SCMP noted that whether such a visit will actually take place depends on the outcome of the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations. Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in the U.S., also said, "Whether President Trump will visit depends on whether the negotiations yield results that satisfy him," adding, "Since the 90-day negotiation deadline ends around August 10, we hope at least a preliminary agreement can be reached before then."
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