China’s Xi Jinping ‘verbally confirms’ Apec participation, Biden unlikely to attend summit in Bangkok in November

Thailand has confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok in November.

The foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that Xi verbally confirmed his participation at the November 18-19 event through Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who informed his Thai counterpart, Don Pramudwinai.

Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said a decision on US President Joe Biden’s presence at the meeting is yet to be finalised amid reports he is likely to skip it to attend his granddaughter Naomi Biden’s wedding.

Naomi is expected to marry her fiancé Peter Neal at the White House’s South Lawn on November 19. She is the daughter of Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle.

“We still are in the process of coordinating [Biden’s participation]. We are trying all means to convince all of the Apec leaders to come,” Tanee said, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper.

The White House earlier told the Thai embassy in Washington that Vice-President Kamala Harris will represent Biden at the gathering.

Biden, however, is expected to take part in the Bali G20 summit on November 15-16.

Tanee said other Apec leaders including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr have also given their verbal confirmations of participation. He added that the leaders of Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong had accepted Thailand’s invitation to the summit.

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Thai Foreign Minister Don, who met Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, played down the president’s potential absence at the event.

“It doesn’t really matter … as the obligations possibly adopted at the meeting will definitely be bound to the countries, not to the persons representing them,” Don said.

But opposition lawmaker Anusorn Iamsa-ard blamed Biden’s non-attendance on the Thai government’s emergency decree that was imposed two years ago ostensibly to control Covid-19.

The government last week said the state of emergency will be lifted on September 30.

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Meanwhile on Monday, China’s ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang told a gathering to mark the country’s 73rd National Day that the Apec summit would help boost economic cooperation in the region and lead to “win-win outcomes for all members”.

Addressing the same event, parliament Speaker Chuan Leekpai said China’s donation of Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand was the act of a “true friend in need” and was greatly appreciated by all Thais.

Chuan added the international community was looking to Xi for help in solving the global crises including the war in Ukraine.

Started in 1989, Apec has 21 members, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.

The forum’s goal is to promote economic growth, cooperation, and trade and investment liberalisation in the Pacific Rim.

Apec members are referred to as economies, not states, so delegates from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan can simultaneously participate in the annual summit.