The key facts

  • The APEC summit will be held in Shenzhen on November 18–19 under the motto of shared prosperity for the Asia-Pacific region
  • Xi Jinping will also deliver a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit on November 17–18
  • Beijing confirmed that talks are underway on a possible meeting of the leaders of China, the US, and Russia

The Shenzhen summit and Xi Jinping's program

PRC Chairman Xi Jinping will chair and open the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (APEC), which will be held in Shenzhen on November 18–19 under the motto 'Building an Asia-Pacific Community for Shared Prosperity.' The announcement was made by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anadolu reports. In addition to the main meeting, Xi will deliver a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit scheduled for November 17–18, hold bilateral talks with arriving foreign leaders, and host a banquet in their honor.

A possible trilateral meeting

On the eve, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing 'is in contact with the relevant parties' regarding a possible meeting of the three heads of state — Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Details, according to her, will be disclosed once additional information becomes available. So far, this concerns only talks about a meeting: no confirmed agreements on holding it or on a date have been announced.

The scale of the forum and context

APEC, established in 1989, unites 21 economies, including China, the US, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The forum accounts for more than 60% of global GDP and about 40% of the world's population. APEC Secretariat Executive Director Eduardo Pedrosa told China's Xinhua news agency that greater Chinese openness in artificial intelligence and the digital economy could strengthen regional cooperation. Shenzhen will become the third Chinese city to host an APEC summit: the forum was previously held in China in 2001 and 2014.