Reuters :
US, China rivalry to dominate APEC summit Asian Pacific leaders fly into the unlikely venue of Port Moresby Saturday for a summit developing into a tug-of-war for regional influence between an assertive China and an increasingly withdrawn United States.
Donald Trump is skipping the two-day APEC meeting, sending vice president Mike Pence in his place, who is leaving after one day and staying in Australia rather than the dusty and notoriously crime-ridden Papua New Guinea capital.
The contrast with China could hardly be more stark. President Xi Jinping arrived two days before the summit for a state visit, and will open a road and school — both funded by Beijing.
Papua New Guinea has rolled out the red carpet for its visitor with Chinese flags fluttering down the length of the new road and images of the Chinese leader beaming down from massive billboards around Port Moresby.
In an opinion piece published ahead of the visit, Xi vowed to “lend fresh impetus to our common development” and “expand practical co-operation with Pacific Island countries in trade and investment.”
Ben Rhodes, former president Barack Obama’s top foreign policy advisor, said Trump’s absence had “opened up an enormous opportunity for China to expand its influence.”
US, China rivalry to dominate APEC summit Asian Pacific leaders fly into the unlikely venue of Port Moresby Saturday for a summit developing into a tug-of-war for regional influence between an assertive China and an increasingly withdrawn United States.
Donald Trump is skipping the two-day APEC meeting, sending vice president Mike Pence in his place, who is leaving after one day and staying in Australia rather than the dusty and notoriously crime-ridden Papua New Guinea capital.
The contrast with China could hardly be more stark. President Xi Jinping arrived two days before the summit for a state visit, and will open a road and school — both funded by Beijing.
Papua New Guinea has rolled out the red carpet for its visitor with Chinese flags fluttering down the length of the new road and images of the Chinese leader beaming down from massive billboards around Port Moresby.
In an opinion piece published ahead of the visit, Xi vowed to “lend fresh impetus to our common development” and “expand practical co-operation with Pacific Island countries in trade and investment.”
Ben Rhodes, former president Barack Obama’s top foreign policy advisor, said Trump’s absence had “opened up an enormous opportunity for China to expand its influence.”
