President Joe Biden intends to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to demonstrate that the United States has the determination and financial resources to focus on the region even in the face of multiple foreign and domestic policy crises.
Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday will be the highlight of his four-day visit to San Francisco, where leaders from 21 countries will gather for the annual APEC summit.
But the White House also wants to show APEC leaders that Biden can focus on Pacific issues while trying to prevent the war between Israel and Hamas from spiraling into a broader regional conflict.
“President Biden will have much more to do this week than simply meet with President Xi,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
He added that Biden will present his vision of the region’s economic prospects and show that the United States is the “most notable driver” of sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, the president will emphasize that the region is critically important to US economic growth.
The White House is expected to unveil new initiatives to promote investment in a clean economy and develop tax and anti-corruption policies as part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum. This is an economic strategy announced last year aimed at countering Beijing’s commercial power in the region.
“The United States is really committed to using APEC to demonstrate its long-term economic commitment to the region as a whole,” said Neils Graham, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Center for Geoeconomics.
The White House may face obstacles in its efforts to persuade APEC members to sign a joint summit statement because of differences in the organization’s views on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the war in Ukraine.
“We are certainly working toward a strong APEC consensus statement that leaders could release by the end of the week,” said Ambassador Matt Murray, the top U.S. official on APEC.
The prospect of a shutdown will hang over the summit as temporary funding from the US government expires on Friday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday introduced a proposal that would extend funding for some departments and programs through Jan. 19. It does not include Biden’s request for about $106 billion in aid to Israel, Ukraine and the security of the US border with Mexico.
Sullivan warned that a government shutdown would deal a “crushing blow” to the United States’ standing in the world.
“This will send a message to the world that the United States cannot come together in a bipartisan way to continue funding the government and present a unified face to the world at a time when the world is in turmoil,” Sullivan said.
