China’s Xi takes spotlight in Apec family photo, with Biden off to the side
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (front row, second from left) and US President Joe Biden (back row, second from right) with other world leaders at the Apec summit family photo-taking session.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LIMA - Chinese President Xi Jinping took centre stage in a family photo on Nov 16 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru, while US President Joe Biden got a spot near the back corner.
Mr Xi was one of the first to arrive for the annual photo, in which all leaders wore a brown scarf, and chatted with Peruvian leader Dina Boluarte.
Mr Biden was the last leader to arrive, and took his spot in the back between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong.
He briefly clasped the hand of Thailand’s youngest-ever leader before the group broke to exit.
The formation was similar to the one in 2016, when Peru last hosted the gathering. Back then, US President Barack Obama also had a spot in the back corner, with Mr Xi also standing next to the Peruvian leader.
That photo also included Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin, who has not attended one of the summits since his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
While the line-up is typically alphabetical in some form, the configuration varies. In 2023, when the US hosted in San Francisco, the countries starting with “A” were closer to Mr Biden as host, putting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese closer to the middle with Mr Xi farther to the side. In the 2024 photo, Mr Albanese was all the way to the side on the first row.
At the 2017 Apec summit hosted in Vietnam, Donald Trump – who is set to return to power in January – stood prominently in the centre of the back row. Former vice-president Mike Pence also got a centre front spot in 2018 when Papua New Guinea hosted.
Mr Xi appeared relaxed while waiting for the photo on Nov 16, chit-chatting with Ms Boluarte and turning around to speak with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, whom he had met for a one-on-one meeting a day earlier.
Mr Xi received a red carpet welcome earlier this week as he inaugurated a US$1.3 billion (S$1.75 billion) port at the presidential palace on the sidelines of the summit.
Mr Xi has used the summit to position China as a bastion of economic globalisation ahead of Trump’s return, warning that protectionism threatened to bring the world “back in history”.
A widening chasm between the world’s two biggest economies, and the outbreak of wars in Europe and the Middle East has made for a more sombre family photo in recent years. This year’s brown scarves were less elaborate than the ponchos donned by the smiling leaders in Peru eight years ago. BLOOMBERG
