The 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit begins today

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit begins in San Francisco today.

APEC is a forum where states along the Pacific Rim discuss economic issues. The main issues of discussion for this year are Climate Change, regional economic ties, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Several bilateral meetings on climate cooperation, nuclear nonproliferation, and economic ties between the US and China preceded this year’s conference.

Both the US and China are interested in strengthening their economic ties and their communication. The two countries are aware of potential geopolitical threats for 2024, like the Taiwan presidential elections and the South China Sea dispute. Due to the depth of their rift in previous years, it is unlikely that the conference will result in a significant shift in their relations. Still, the conference may provide incremental progress in several areas, like travel arrangements, and military crisis management. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to face severe public backlash in San Francisco, which may hinder the summit’s progress.