[APEC 정상회의]
15th meeting at APEC in San Francisco
尹, attends the IPEF summit on the 16th
The 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, where top leaders from 21 countries, including Korea, gathered in one place, opened in San Francisco, USA on the 11th (local time). At this APEC meeting, which will be held for a week until the 17th, the US-China summit is scheduled while the geopolitical conflict is at its peak due to the Russia-Ukraine and Hamas-Israel wars, so attention is focused on whether it will be a turning point in changes in the international situation.
This APEC meeting is the first held by the United States in 12 years since it was held in Honolulu, Hawaii during the Barack Obama administration in 2011. Most member countries will participate, including U.S. President Joe Biden, who chairs the event, as well as President Yoon Seok-yeol, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Since membership is granted to ‘individual economies’ rather than countries, Taiwan is also a member, but in consideration of China’s opposition, Maurice Chang (92), founder of semiconductor company TSMC, will attend as a special envoy instead of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, as is customary.
APEC, launched in 1989, has emerged as one of the few channels of dialogue between the two countries amid deepening conflict between the United States and China. Following last year’s meeting in Bali, Indonesia, the US-China summit held on the 15th this year is considered the highlight of this meeting. Attention is being paid to whether there will be practical results, such as the installation of guardrails for crisis management between the two countries.
In addition to expectations for the resumption of communication between the United States and China, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) summit, an economic and security platform in the Indo-Pacific region that keeps China in check, led by the Biden administration, will also be held on the 16th on the occasion of the APEC meeting. The Presidential Office announced on the 12th, “President Yoon plans to attend the IPEF summit to confirm the results of the negotiations so far and discuss specific plans for future cooperation.” A high-ranking government official said, “President Yoon may make a statement supporting IPEF’s purpose of pursuing common prosperity in the Pacific region while adhering to norms,” and added, “Discussions that exclude specific countries, such as China, will not take place.”
Yellen: Separation between China and the U.S. will cause harm to China
Meeting with Heo Heifeng and agreement to expand exchanges
US: “It is important to restore military communication channels with China”
The highlight of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, which opened on the 11th (local time), is the US-China summit held for the first time in a year. As a high-ranking official in the U.S. Joe Biden administration said, “All agenda items are on the table,” a wide range of bilateral issues, including international issues such as North Korea-Russia closeness and suppression of the escalation of the Middle East war, as well as U.S. export controls to China, will be discussed. It is expected that Before the summit, which was concluded after a long period of cooling following the Chinese reconnaissance balloon incident in February of this year, behind-the-scenes talks, including talks between the economic leaders of the United States and China, are accelerating. In addition to expectations of the resumption of US-China military dialogue, which is a top priority for the US, efforts to strengthen the alliance to keep China in check are gaining momentum.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced that she met Chinese Vice Premier Heifeng of the State Council in San Francisco on the 9th and 10th, just before the opening of the APEC meeting, and agreed to avoid ‘decoupling’ and strengthen communication between the two countries. . Secretary Yellen said at a press conference on the 10th, “We are not trying to separate the Chinese economy. “This is damaging to the United States and destabilizing the world,” she emphasized. Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, also reported, “Vice Premier He visited the United States and had several meetings with Secretary Yellen and exchanged opinions on U.S.-China economic relations and responses to global challenges,” adding, “We welcome sound economic relations that do not pursue decoupling.” .
Instead of decoupling, which means complete separation of the U.S.-China economy, the United States has been pursuing a ‘de-risking’ strategy that strengthens cooperation in all areas except the core supply chain. China has criticized that “de-risking is another name for decoupling,” but an agreement was reached in principle to expand exchanges through a meeting between the economic leaders of both sides. The economic leaders of the two countries also confirmed the importance of regular communication and agreed that Secretary Yellen will visit China again next year following her first visit in July of this year.
Differences of opinion between the United States and China were also confirmed. Secretary Yellen warned that if Chinese companies provide material support to Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, it will lead to serious consequences, including sanctions. He also expressed concern about China’s export controls on key minerals such as graphite. He also pointed out transparency issues, saying, “China does not disclose information about its foreign exchange practices,” amid concerns that China is selling US Treasury bonds it has held to intervene in the exchange rate.
The prospect that high-level military dialogue between the two countries will resume after the US-China summit is also taking shape. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown, the highest ranking member of the U.S. military, announced on the 10th that he had sent a letter to his counterpart, Chinese Joint Chiefs of Staff Liu Zhenli, expressing his hope for a resumption of dialogue. Chairman Brown met with reporters that day and said, “Resumption of military dialogue between the United States and China is a major goal of the Biden administration,” and added, “We have to wait and see how it will be concluded. “I am full of hope,” he said, expressing his anticipation. Chairman Brown, who is visiting Korea following Japan, also emphasized, “It is very important to restore military communication channels to prevent misunderstandings (between the world’s two most powerful military powers).”
Ahead of the US-China summit, Chairman Brown and other US diplomatic and defense officials are touring the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, Japan, and India, this week to coordinate agendas and strengthen cooperation with regional allies. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken recently visited South Korea and had conversations about close ties between North Korea and Russia, and on the 10th, he participated in the ‘2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministers’ meeting with India with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In India, Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh each attended. Secretary Blinken and Jaishankar “agreed to strengthen our commitment to a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Although India is not a member of APEC, it is a key participant in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) held on the occasion of APEC and a member of the security consultative body ‘Quad’. The United States has sought to strengthen relations with India to keep China and Russia in check.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.