Global leaders gather in Asia this weekend for high-level summits addressing artificial intelligence, trade policy, and nuclear disarmament.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations starts its final leader summit of the year on Sunday in Manila, swissinfo.ch reported. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attend as guests.
Focus then shifts north to Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend, alongside Latin American leaders including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, and Chilean President José Antonio Kast. United States President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney travel to both gatherings.
Siew Mun Tang of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute said the region will not view Trump as a lame duck despite his recent midterm election defeat.
“No creo que la región lo vea como un presidente en funciones sin poder”, Tang told swissinfo.ch.
The agenda for a potential meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump, and Putin remains unclear. Putin has pushed for discussions on Ukraine, while Trump suggested the focus will center on de-nuclearization and ending the war in Iran.
Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution urged tempered expectations for the diplomatic encounter.
“El simbolismo (…) constituirá una buena parte de su contenido”, Hass told swissinfo.ch.
He added that Xi and Putin will likely give Trump a respectful hearing on arms control without committing to concrete follow-up actions.
Artificial intelligence ranks high on the APEC agenda following a September agreement between Xi and Trump to establish a communication channel for incident reporting. Trump has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence threatens humanity, though geopolitical rivals face growing pressure to cooperate on bioweapons and cyberattacks.
Discussions face potential friction from a reported espionage scandal involving former Nvidia head Jensen Huang. United States officials allege Huang maintained ties with an intelligence operative working for Beijing.
Latin American leaders will participate in the APEC summit in Shenzhen to meet with global powers during geopolitical tensions. Peruvian President Fujimori and Chilean President Kast attend their first major international summit since taking office this year.
Trade dominates discussions across both summits, though regional free trade progress remains stalled by United States-China friction. A tariff truce negotiated during Xi’s September visit to the White House extends until January 10, according to swissinfo.ch. Disagreements persist regarding Chinese exports of rare earths, and regional observers anticipate no immediate shifts in Washington’s broader trade policy.