Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a ‘common future for humanity’ and warned against ‘hegemony’ in a speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Friday, amid rising tensions with the United States..
‘We should reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and should not seek hegemony or play zero-sum games,’ Xi said via video link in his opening remarks at the summit, which is being held in Bangkok, Thailand..
Xi’s speech comes as Beijing and Washington increasingly compete for influence in the Asia-Pacific region, with the US seeking to shore up its alliances in the region to counter China’s growing assertiveness..
Xi also called on APEC members to ‘uphold fairness and justice, and we should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.’.
He said that ‘the Asia-Pacific region belongs to the people of the Asia-Pacific, and its future should be jointly shaped by the countries of the Asia-Pacific,’ adding that ‘external forces should not be allowed to interfere.’.
Xi’s speech was well-received by some APEC members, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim saying that he ‘appreciates’ Xi’s ’emphasis on multilateralism and cooperation.’.
However, the US and its allies are likely to view Xi’s speech with skepticism, as they have accused China of seeking to dominate the Asia-Pacific region..
The APEC summit is being held in person for the first time since 2018, and is attended by leaders from 21 member economies, including the US, China, Japan, and Russia..
The summit is expected to focus on issues such as trade, climate change, and sustainable development..
