Xi’s remarks on Thursday came ahead of Friday’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok and were an apparent reference to US efforts with regional allies and partners to moderate what they see as growing coercive economic and military influence. of China in the region. “Any attempt to wage a new cold war will never be allowed by the people or our time,” Xi said in written remarks prepared for a business event linked to the summit. “We should follow an open and inclusive path,” he said in the speech, which was provided by organizers, adding that the region should not be turned into an “arena for great power competition.” “Unilateralism and protectionism must be rejected by all. Any attempt to politicize and weaponize economic and trade relations should also be rejected by all,” he said. Relations between the world’s two largest economies have been strained in recent years over issues including tariffs, Taiwan, intellectual property theft, the removal of Hong Kong’s autonomy and territorial disputes over the South China Sea, among others. In a move that could be seen by Beijing as a rebuke, a senior administration official said US Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Philippines’ Palawan Islands on Tuesday, at the edge of the disputed South China Sea. The trip will make Harris the highest-ranking US official to visit the island chain adjacent to the Spratly Islands. China has dredged the seabed to build ports and airstrips in the Spratlys, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Xi told his Filipino counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at a meeting in Bangkok that the strength of bilateral ties depended on stable maritime relations, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing disputes over areas in the South China Sea. Harris will visit Palawan after attending the Apec meeting, which follows a series of regional summits so far dominated by geopolitical tension over the war in Ukraine. At the G20 meeting in Bali, countries unanimously adopted a statement saying most members condemn the Ukraine war, but also acknowledged that some countries saw the conflict differently. Host Indonesia said the war was the most contentious issue. Russia is a member of both the G20 and Apec, but President Vladimir Putin stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will represent Putin at Apec. Apec host Thailand on Thursday said leaders gathering for the forum should “overcome differences”. Its foreign minister, Don Pramunduinai, said the meeting of the 21-member bloc “takes place at a pivotal juncture”, with the world facing multiple risks. “The cancellation mentality… permeates every conversation and action, [and] it makes any compromise look impossible,” he said in a statement after the bloc’s foreign ministers met ahead of the main summit. “That is why Apec this year must overcome these challenges and offer hope to the world at large.” Xi held a rare summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while in Bangkok, the first leadership-level meeting between the two countries in nearly three years, after which Kishida said he expressed concerns about Taiwan Strait peace . He confirmed with Xi that they would reopen dialogue between diplomatic officials and communicate closely, and said both leaders agreed that Russia should not use the nuclear option in Ukraine. He declined to say what Xi said on the matter. China’s CCTV reported that Xi told Kishida that the Taiwan issue was about the political foundation of ties between their two countries and that territorial disputes should be handled properly. The meeting came a day after tensions in Bali, where Xi personally criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting, a rare public display of discomfort by Xi. Trudeau is also in Bangkok. On Thursday, as leaders prepared for the Apec meeting, the junta in neighboring Myanmar announced an amnesty for 5,774 prisoners, including a Japanese filmmaker, a former British ambassador and an Australian economist and former adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. State media reported that 700 of those released were political prisoners. Activists and opponents of the military welcomed the amnesty but warned people not to be fooled by the junta, which they said was using the people as a bargaining chip. At a press conference in Bangkok, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the launch as “a bright spot in an otherwise incredibly dark time”.
