US, China Participation Could Pave Way for Successful APEC Summit, Says South Korea's Kim

GYEONGJU (South Korea), Oct 23 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min Seok on Thursday expressed hope for a successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, with United States (US) President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to meet on the sidelines.

Kim made the remarks while inspecting the summit venue in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, where the event is set to take place on Oct 31 and Nov 1, Yonhap news agency reported.

“As it has been decided that the US and Chinese leaders will participate, I think that in itself opens the possibility of a successful summit,” Kim told reporters.

Trump is expected to visit South Korea from Oct 29-30 ahead of the APEC gathering to hold separate bilateral talks with President Lee Jae Myung and Xi, though he is likely to skip the summit itself.

“It is unfortunate, but from a national perspective, there will still be an opportunity for meaningful discussions during his visit,” Kim said.

On the possibility of US-North Korea dialogue during the APEC period, Kim said, “It remains uncertain as of now.”

Commenting on the South Korea-US tariff negotiations, Kim said the two sides have narrowed their differences, but it remains unclear if the remaining issues can be resolved before the summit.

Seoul and Washington held their latest round of trade negotiations in Washington on Wednesday (US time), amid expectations that a deal could be finalised during the APEC summit.

The talks reportedly focused on the financial package linked to Seoul’s US$350 billion investment pledge, part of an initial agreement in July to lower US tariffs on Korean products from 25 per cent to 15 per cent.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP