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7h ago

APEC in Gyeongju Moves to Leader-Level With AI Focus as Declaration Remains Unresolved

Final consultations continue over contested trade language, with the Trump–Xi meeting poised to influence tariffs and rare‑earth controls.

President Lee Jae Myung delivers an address during the opening ceremony of the APEC CEO Summit at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea, on Oct. 29, 2025. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (L) co-chairs the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) with Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo at a venue in Gyeongju, about 275 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
The plenary session of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting takes place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo (C) speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 30, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Foreign and trade ministers in Gyeongju wrapped agenda-setting talks on AI cooperation, supply-chain resilience and an open plurilateral approach ahead of the leaders’ summit.
  • Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said the leaders’ declaration is still under negotiation with sharply differing views, reflecting rifts over U.S. tariff threats and China’s rare‑earth export controls.
  • South Korea’s Cho Hyun and Yeo Han‑koo put AI and demographic change at the center of this year’s roadmap and promoted initiatives such as “AI for Trade,” an AI supply‑chain project and RE100 industrial complexes.
  • The APEC CEO Summit is drawing about 1,700 business participants, with speakers including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, AWS’s Matt Garman, Google’s Simon Kahn, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser and J&J’s Joaquin Duato.
  • Leaders are arriving in Gyeongju, with President Donald Trump meeting President Lee Jae Myung and a Trump–Xi bilateral expected during the APEC events.