Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Asia-Pacific leaders on Saturday (November 1, 2025) that his country would help to defend global free trade as U.S. President Donald Trump snubbed an annual economic regional forum.
Mr. Xi took centre stage at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that began the previous day in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, as Trump left the country just hours before the summit opened, after reaching deals with Mr. Xi meant to ease their escalating trade war.
This year's two-day APEC summit has been heavily overshadowed by the Trump-Xi meeting that was arranged on the sidelines.
Mr. Trump described his Thursday meeting with Mr. Xi as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybean
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