Xi Jinping Takes the Helm at APEC Amid Global Trade Tensions

At the forefront of the Pacific Rim leaders' assembly in South Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping navigates complex trade and geopolitical waters. The meeting follows a temporary truce with U.S. President Donald Trump over trade disputes, notably concerning rare earth exports, pivotal for global supply chains.

Attention focuses on Xi’s engagements with Japan’s newly elected leader, Sanae Takaichi. Takaichi’s assertive security stance poses a potential hurdle to previously stable relations, reflecting Japan's military strategic shifts amid ongoing tensions with China.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to reshape relations with China following fraught interactions under his predecessor. Marked by historical tensions, the dialogue seeks new economic opportunities as Canada looks beyond its trade dependence on the United States.