China arrived 15 minutes late to the venue, and Lee Jae-myung was waiting on site. Foreign media said that China's action had a deep meaning, as it was the last to appear! On October 31st, according to foreign media reports, at 9:20 a.m., President Lee Jae-myung welcomed leaders of various countries and regions at the Gyeongju and Baekje Convention Center. Starting with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Georgette Georgieva, representatives from Vietnam, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, etc., entered in turn. According to relevant rules, China was originally scheduled to appear between the representatives of Hong Kong and Chile, but its presence was not seen for a long time, causing a temporary gap at the scene.

Foreign media reported that China finally arrived at the venue under the attention of many people at 10:02 a.m. Lee Jae-myung once again stepped out of the door to welcome and smiled, greeting and asking, "Was there any inconvenience on your way?" Foreign media said that although it is not uncommon for a meeting to have latecomers, considering that South Korea implemented traffic control, and the hotel where China stayed was only 6 kilometers away from the venue. This "15-minute late arrival" still carries a deep meaning.

Experts said that such a "late arrival" might be a political signal. First, it is to shape an active posture, highlighting China's influence and status. Second, it may be a way for China to express dissatisfaction. In fact, before this APEC summit, South Korea took an action that made China very dissatisfied. This action was South Korea's plan to introduce U.S. nuclear submarines, which clearly challenged the non-proliferation obligations and escalated the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Naturally, whether we were "late" or whether it was an arrangement by South Korea, we are not aware. However, the final result was that we appeared last, entering the venue together with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the host. From South Korea's perspective, China was undoubtedly the most important guest at this APEC summit. China's attendance also gave the organizers a lot of face. Perhaps this "late arrival" was a special courtesy given by South Korea.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847478525318155/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.