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APEC Leaders End Gyeongju Summit With Open-Trade Pledge as Xi Takes Lead After U.S.–China Truce

Beijing’s one-year pause on rare-earth export controls also covers the European Union.

Overview

  • The Declaration of Gyeongju commits all 21 APEC economies to expand trade and investment and advances work on AI and demographic challenges.
  • Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed in Busan to a one-year commercial truce that rolls back or pauses recent measures, easing tensions for now.
  • President Trump left South Korea before the summit wrapped, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent representing the United States at the final sessions.
  • China confirmed a one-year suspension of controls on exports of rare earths and other strategic materials, with the European Commission saying the move applies to the EU.
  • Xi held a series of bilaterals, including with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, as analysts cautioned the truce is fragile and highlighted China’s leverage in critical supply chains.