[APEC Super Week] Canadian Prime Minister Carney Hopes for U.S.-China Talks... Russia's Putin to Skip Summit

Which World Leaders Will Attend?
Leaders from 21 Nations, Including the U.S. and China, Gather
Trump to Reassert Global Leadership
Putin Absent Since 2022 Ukraine Invasion
Japan's New Prime Minister Takaichi Makes Diplomatic Debut
Vietnam,

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Photo by AFP

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, set to open this week, is expected to be a major diplomatic event, bringing together the leaders of 21 key countries, including the United States and China. This summit will mark the diplomatic debut of Sanae Takaichi, the new Prime Minister of Japan, and serve as a test for countries seeking pathways to cooperation amid global uncertainty.

The participating countries include the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, Vietnam, and 13 other regional economies, totaling 21. Key attendees are U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Takaichi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his visit to Korea after a mourning period was declared following the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit, mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, on the night of the 24th.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had already announced that he would not attend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has not participated in APEC, and an arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes. As Korea is a member of the ICC and is obligated to arrest him, his visit to Korea is effectively impossible.

This event is significant as it marks Prime Minister Takaichi's first participation in a large-scale international event as Japan's first female prime minister. She expressed her anticipation, stating, "The APEC summit is a valuable opportunity to meet with the leaders of other countries." The first Korea-Japan summit with President Lee Jaemyung is reportedly in the final stages of coordination.

Sanae Takaichi, the new Prime Minister of Japan (center front row), and members of the Takaichi Cabinet are moving to take a commemorative photo at the Prime Minister's residence in Tokyo on the 21st. Photo by Xinhua Yonhap News

Bilateral meetings, where national interests intersect, are attracting even more attention than the main summit itself. President Trump will not attend the main summit, but during his brief two-day visit to Korea, he plans to reaffirm global leadership through bilateral talks. Ahead of his meeting with President Xi, he is also expected to reinforce cooperation with Japan, Australia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen his negotiating position. The United States recently signed a critical minerals agreement with Australia and reached a trade deal with four Southeast Asian countries during a visit to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit.

The Canadian government is hoping for summit meetings with both the United States and China. Since August, Canada and China have been engaged in a trade dispute involving high tariffs and anti-dumping investigations. Prime Minister Carney is reportedly seeking a meeting with President Trump to coordinate trade agreements. However, President Trump, angered by Ontario's "No U.S. Tariffs" advertisements, stated on the 25th, "I have no plans to meet with Prime Minister Carney."

Prime Minister Carney's activities are also a key focus for Korean business circles. With a 60 trillion won next-generation submarine project on the horizon, Canadian naval officials have visited Hanwha Ocean, which has been interpreted as a preliminary step ahead of the prime minister's possible visit to the shipyard.

Taiwan, which asserts its independence from China, will participate under the name "Chinese Taipei," as China does not recognize Taiwan as a country, adhering to the "One China" policy. President Lai Ching-te will not attend in person but will send former Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi as his representative. Since China will host APEC next year, cross-strait issues may come to the forefront.

Ryan Hass, director of the China Center at the Brookings Institution, stated on a podcast last week, "Taiwan is an APEC member, and next year China will be the host country," adding, "We need to watch how contact between the United States and Taiwan unfolds at this summit and what agreements are reached regarding Taiwan's participation next year."

For smaller countries such as Vietnam and Chile, expectations are higher for the official APEC agenda than for bilateral meetings. Mireya Solis, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, said, "They hope that practical economic issues such as supply chain resilience, development challenges, and technological change will be at the center of discussions," adding, "Korea's proposal on 'artificial intelligence (AI) and connectivity' is also a major topic of interest."