APEC draws global focus as Trump, Xi confirm attendance

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. AP-Yonhap

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting to be hosted by Korea next month is drawing heightened global attention, after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he would attend alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Seoul's presidential office said Sunday it welcomes the possibility of a U.S.-China summit in Korea and expressed support for efforts to facilitate their discussions on the sidelines of APEC events.

The high-profile gathering of leaders from APEC member economies is scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Following a phone call with Xi on Friday (local time), Trump wrote on social media: “I also agreed with President Xi that we would meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea," adding, "Both look forward to meeting at APEC!"

The rare phone conversation came as the world's two largest economies continue discussions amid an ongoing trade war.

The upcoming APEC event would mark the first meeting between the two leaders since Trump began his second term in January, and their first in-person encounter since 2019 when they met in Japan at the G20 summit.

It would be the first time in 13 years for the American and Chinese presidents to visit Korea simultaneously. The last simultaneous visit occurred in March 2012, when then-U.S. President Barack Obama and then-Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit.

Observers say hosting both major powers simultaneously is a significant diplomatic achievement for Seoul, which continues to walk a tightrope between its key security ally Washington and major trade partner Beijing.

"Now that Trump and Xi have de facto confirmed their attendance, the APEC meeting is shaping up to be a U.S.-China showdown," said Kang Jun-young, head of the Center for International Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

"Bringing together the two leaders, who have an uneasy relationship, for a face-to-face meeting is a symbolic event, and the fact that it takes place in Korea is significant for the nation's diplomatic standing."

While Kang said it may be difficult to see concrete U.S.-China bilateral agreements given the limited time before APEC, he noted that Korea could act as a mediator in the multilateral forum.

"Having Trump and Xi join a multilateral declaration on supply chain stabilization and global trade issues by producing a document like a 'Gyeongju Declaration' would be a significant milestone for Korea," he said.

President Lee Jae Myung salutes the national flag during a meeting with his senior aides at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Korea’s presidential office signaled its commitment to backing a potential meeting between Trump and Xi.

"Our government has consistently supported multifaceted diplomatic communication among APEC members on the sidelines of the APEC meeting," a senior official said.

"We will continue detailed communication with the U.S., and we welcome the possibility of a U.S.-China summit taking place in Korea. We are prepared to provide the maximum level of support from our side."

APEC organizers appear to be making meticulous preparations for the visit of the two major powers to Gyeongju. Five-star hotels in Gyeongju, where the two leaders may stay, have undergone renovations to include presidential and royal suites suitable for heads of state.

Maximum security will be put in place around the Bomun Tourist Complex, which houses both the summit's main venue and accommodations for participating leaders, with unauthorized access strictly prohibited.

The Korean president is also expected to hold separate bilateral meetings with Trump and Xi on the sidelines of APEC, conducted at the state-visit level — the highest form of diplomatic courtesy a nation can extend to a foreign leader.

Hosting both major powers on state visits around the same time is viewed as highly rare among diplomatic circles.

"The government is coordinating with China on a potential summit between our president and President Xi on the sidelines of the APEC gathering," a foreign ministry official said.

Renovations are underway at the Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Sept. 15, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting will take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. Yonhap

While it is unclear whether the meeting would take place before or after the APEC event, some suggest it is likely to be held in Seoul rather than Gyeongju due to logistical considerations and the accommodation needs of the Chinese delegation, which reportedly prefers locations with the highest security standards.

If the bilateral meeting takes place, it would be the first time in more than a decade for Xi and a Korean leader to meet here. Xi last visited Korea in July 2014 at the invitation of then-President Park Geun-hye.

It would also signal the full normalization of Korea-China relations that have cooled since the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system here in 2017.

At a potential Lee-Trump summit, which would follow their first meeting in Washington in August, attention is expected to focus on resolving visa measures following the recent mass immigration raid on Korean workers in Georgia, as well as on stalled tariff negotiations.