Something just clicked for me. China isn't even a member of APEC. How is its approval required for an APEC communiqué? This should have been a non-issue. Of course, this raises the question of why...
The agreement that usually comes out of these summits was thwarted by tensions between the US and China over trade and security, meaning that for the first time in Apec history, the summit closed without a joint statement from the leaders.
Something just clicked for me. China isn't even a member of APEC. How is its approval required for an APEC communiqué? This should have been a non-issue.
Of course, this raises the question of why China was there in the first place. Of course, it's trying to spread its influence across the Pacific region, so it's only natural that it would want to be present at something like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit - but that doesn't mean the APEC leaders have to invite it.
at one point Chinese officials attempted to “barge” into the office of PNG’s foreign minister in an 11th-hour bid to influence a draft summit communique.
This was quite a revealing moment. It shows what China is really like, under the facade of cooperation and friendly participation.
Something just clicked for me. China isn't even a member of APEC. How is its approval required for an APEC communiqué? This should have been a non-issue.
Of course, this raises the question of why China was there in the first place. Of course, it's trying to spread its influence across the Pacific region, so it's only natural that it would want to be present at something like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit - but that doesn't mean the APEC leaders have to invite it.
This was quite a revealing moment. It shows what China is really like, under the facade of cooperation and friendly participation.