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At APEC, Xi’s Flurry of Bilateral Talks Signals Thaw as North Korea Rejects Denuclearization

The meetings emphasized economic coordination, with a joint APEC declaration still in doubt.

Overview

  • Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump met in Gyeongju and agreed to pursue stability in U.S.–China relations.
  • Xi held first talks with Japan’s Sanae Takaichi and also met South Korea’s Lee Jae‑myung, with both sides pledging more constructive, future‑oriented ties.
  • North Korea’s vice foreign minister denounced plans to raise denuclearization at the ChinaSouth Korea meeting, calling it an “impossible, foolish dream,” according to KCNA.
  • China said Xi and Canada’s Prime Minister Kearney held their first formal meeting in about eight years and agreed to develop a strategic partnership and deepen economic cooperation.
  • APEC leaders debated a possible joint statement after sessions on free trade, digitalization and AI, and demographic challenges, reflecting coordination on economics alongside unresolved security frictions.