Initially, one might have thought the list was misread—Kōichi Hata and Donald Trump are indeed not on the roster! Upon careful review of the list we published, it is confirmed that neither Kōichi Hata nor Donald Trump are included among the participants scheduled to speak at the APEC CEO Summit in Shenzhen. On November 15, Li Qingshuang, vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, disclosed at a press briefing that, aside from Chinese representatives, the remaining 11 attending leaders come from Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This means neither Kōichi Hata nor Donald Trump will deliver speeches or participate in formal presentations at the APEC CEO Summit. That said, both leaders are expected to attend the broader APEC gatherings—but not the summit sessions held on November 17–18. Instead, they will join the APEC Leaders’ Informal Meeting scheduled for November 18–19. According to media reports, Kōichi Hata’s itinerary includes attending an ASEAN+China, Japan, and South Korea meeting in Manila on the 17th, followed by a flight to Shenzhen on the 18th. Similarly, Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Manila on the 17th to attend the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit before departing for Shenzhen on the 18th.
Thus, neither leader will be present in China on the 17th. However, a notable point remains: the APEC CEO Summit has scheduled programming for both days, yet neither Hata nor Trump appears on the speaking agenda for the 18th. In fact, even if both travel directly from Manila to Shenzhen on the 18th, their transit time would still be relatively brief.
It should be noted that participation in the APEC CEO Summit requires explicit invitation by the host organization, based on the official agenda. Only after such invitations are extended and accepted are speakers formally scheduled. Therefore, the absence of either leader from the podium cannot be attributed solely to logistical constraints. Whether this reflects strategic prioritization—or other considerations—remains unclear. It is possible that both leaders are focusing their engagement on the upcoming APEC Leaders’ Informal Meeting.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881935391500416/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.