This week marks the beginning of a series of meetings of Asian leaders, beginning with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia summits Nov. 12-13; the G-20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia on Nov. 15-16; and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Nov. 18-19 in Bangkok, Thailand. The setting is a world beset with profound crises, but one in which nations have already begun to shape alternatives to the insanity of the old order.
It was confirmed today that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend any of these summits in person and will be represented by a high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to the Russian embassy in Indonesia, Putin may join the G-20 summit virtually, but this has not yet been decided. It was confirmed today that President Xi Jinping will attend the G-20 summit, and on Nov. 14 he will meet privately with President Biden (see separate slug).
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will lead his nation’s delegation to the ASEAN and East Asia summits. During a visit to Cambodia, where he met with Prime Minister Hun Sen, Premier Li stated that China “firmly supports the unity and centrality of ASEAN, supports an ASEAN-led regional cooperation architecture and supports it in playing a greater role in promoting peace and development regionally and internationally, China Daily reported today.
Senior administration officials announced during a Nov. 8 briefing, that Biden will go to the G-20 with an agenda emphasizing “respect for human rights, rule of law, good governance and the rules-based international order,” and laden with boondoggles such as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) as evidence of the U.S.’s commitment to economic development. Prior to traveling to Phnom Penh for the ASEAN and East Asia summits, he will attend the COP27 summit in Egypt on Nov. 11, where he will also meet privately with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
