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Apec offers a stage for China, US and two Koreas to make peace
With Trump and Xi set to attend, it could pave the way for a US-North Korea summit and mend China-South Korea ties
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Lee Min-Yong is a visiting professor in the School of Global Service at Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea and a former adviser (foreign affairs and national security) to the Presidential Office of the Republic of Korea.
The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting is just over a month away. Hosted in the ancient Korean capital of Gyeongju, the summit will bring together leaders from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. With both the US and Chinese presidents expected to attend, the gathering is poised to serve as a significant diplomatic stage against the backdrop of mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula and growing uncertainty in global affairs.
After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s appearance at China’s recent Victory Day military parade, signs have emerged of a potential China-Russia-North Korea alignment. Attention is turning to how this might influence the Apec meeting. Kim’s China visit could be both an attempt to break out of diplomatic isolation and a calculated step with the Apec meeting in mind.
The move recalls his earlier strategy whereby he met Chinese President Xi Jinping several times ahead of his summits with US President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019. Given this precedent, the Apec gathering could open the door to a US-North Korea summit, or even a trilateral meeting involving South Korea.
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