How China will look elsewhere to push agenda after cancelled Apec summit in Chile hits hopes of US trade deal
- Despite the cancellation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting, the BRICS summit in Brazil will offer an alternative platform for Beijing
- Both China and the US say that the cancellation of the event will not affect trade war negotiations
China is looking to other channels such as the forthcoming BRICS summit to advance its diplomatic agenda following the cancellation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile.
While the US and China had hoped to seal a “phase one trade deal” in Santiago, they have said the cancellation – due to the ongoing protests and rioting in Chile – will not affect their negotiations and they are looking for another time and place.
However, Beijing will still need to find ways to compensate for the loss of face time with other world leaders.
Jiang Shixue, professor of international relations at Shanghai University, said that while the cancellation was bad news for the US and China, pressing matters could be handled through other means.
“Nowadays we have many, many channels of communication,” said Jiang. “Xi Jinping will still go to the BRICS summit, and visit few other Latin American countries, so it is not a loss for China,” he added.