APEC's Curtain Call: A Summit of Political Symbolism

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum concluded in Lima, leaving questions about future engagements in the shadow of incoming US President Donald Trump's policies. Leaders like Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, and Shigeru Ishiba met amid globalization discussions, with the US-China trade rivalry taking center stage. APEC's symbolic gestures highlighted deeper political undercurrents.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum wrapped up Saturday in Lima, following two days of meetings that seldom moved beyond generalities regarding robust economic engagement strategies. The annual summit ended in a spirit of detente that many fear might not reoccur for another four years.

Prominent leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, attended this week's APEC summit. This meeting comes at a time when US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to retract America's leadership from global free trade initiatives.

An unexpected moment occurred when Biden arrived late to the traditional APEC family photo, which seemed to symbolize political dynamics. The absence highlighted the ongoing US-China trade and security tension, as Biden engaged in one final meeting with Xi during his presidential tenure.

(With inputs from agencies.)