APEC summit kicks off in South Korea

By Anadolu staff

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit began Friday in South Korea’s coastal city of Gyeongju as leaders sought to boost growth amid trade tensions.

The two-day summit, chaired by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, is being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Other leaders from APEC member economies including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are also attending the gathering.

Marking South Korea’s first time hosting the APEC leaders’ meeting in two decades, President Lee said Seoul aims to strengthen cooperation among member economies to achieve shared prosperity and sustainable development.

This year’s agenda includes discussions on regional economic integration, artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, demographic challenges and trade cooperation.

The South Korean government has deployed thousands of police officers as well as 3,900 military personnel to ensure tight security throughout the high-profile event.