By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) — World leaders including the US' outgoing President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping gathered in Peru Friday to attend summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The summit, hosted by Peruvian President Dina Boluarte in the capital Lima, is the first since Donald Trump won the US presidential elections last week, with the changing dynamics of global trade on the agenda.
With enhanced security measures and refurbished roads and buildings, Lima will host representatives from some 21 nations and regions at the summit.
Besides Biden and Xi, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are also attending.
Taiwan, which China sees as its "breakaway" province, is also represented at the forum by the island nation's former Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i, who met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The forum summit is an annual gathering of APEC member nations, which account for almost half of the world’s trade in total.
Ahead of a session with the APEC’s business advisory council, the group’s leaders and representatives will hold closed-door consultations.
Bilateral meetings are also expected to take place on the summit sidelines, including what will be the summit between Xi and Biden before the US president exits the White House in January.
Both Xi and Biden, along with other leaders, will later fly to Brazil after the forum for a summit of G20 leaders in Rio de Janeiro.