China is not generally known for its low-key approach to diplomacy, but even by its usual standards, the country’s presence at this year’s Apec summit was inevitable.

Large groups of supporters flying miniature flags and banners of support took up residence outside the hotel hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his delegation.

Inside, a remarkably large phalanx of officials and security guards mill about while China Central Television broadcasts audio to every television set in sight.

A special “Apec 2024” supplement from state newspaper China Daily appears to have been distributed to hotels, restaurants and bars in Lima, while the Global Times (also owned by the CCP) boasted a series of billboards Colorful displays “with Chinese Characteristics” around the city.

Xi has also had his share of earned media: On Saturday (NZ time), the front pages of Lima dailies were plastered with stories about the opening of a deep-water port at Chancay, about 80 kilometers away north of Lima, and financed by others. more than $2.2 billion in Chinese investments.

The project, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to cut transport times between the two countries by around a third and is part of the country’s broader efforts to building goodwill and influence in Latin America through investments in infrastructure and trade ties.

American concern about the port has focused on its potential to accommodate not only commercial cargo ships but also military vessels. Yet as the United States appears to want to turn more inward under new President Donald Trump, the Chinese government appears determined to capitalize on the opportunity to supplant the port. as a global economic superpower.

In a speech delivered on Xi’s behalf at the Apec CEO summit by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the president spoke of the “cross-currents” hampering economic globalization, in what could be an attack veiled against the United States.

“Unbridled unilateralism and protectionism and an increasingly fragmented global economy threaten to reverse the trend toward economic globalization. The biggest challenge for us is like going up a river: we either move forward or drift downstream,” Xi said in the written version of his speech.

Expressing concern over a new period of turbulence and fragmentation in the global economy, he pledged to “open (China’s) door even further to the world”, creating a stark contrast (deliberately or not) with the protectionist sentiment likely to be at the origin of the crisis. to the forefront during Trump’s presidency.

Such a message dovetails well with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s emphasis on the need to “reaffirm and reaffirm commitment to a rules-based system”, theoretically giving many points of agreement to the two men when they met face to face for the first time.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Luxon said he and Xi had “a really productive, positive and constructive conversation”, with discussions on continued cooperation on trade, climate change and relations between the peoples.

Yet, as when he met Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to New Zealand earlier this year, Luxon said there were also differences of opinion on some issues, such as how to manage tensions in southern China and the Asian superpower’s approach to its relations with the Chinese prime minister. relations with Pacific countries.

The Prime Minister also confirmed he had raised New Zealand and its concerns over China’s test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean in September, saying: “We have a history of nuclear testing in the Pacific – this is a really important issue. »

After his meeting with Li in June, Luxon said the discussions were split “probably 50-50” between the countries’ common interests and their differences. Asked by Newsroom what the connection was with Xi, he hesitated, saying only: “I’m not going to address that”; It’s unclear whether this was due to a more unfavorable split, or simply officials questioning the wisdom of his earlier directness.

Yet at this stage the need to manage differences is embedded in bilateral relations and does not appear to be damaging relations, with the Prime Minister confirming that he intended to visit China in the first half of the year. next year following an invitation from Xi.

Maintaining strong relations without fisticuffs could be crucial in the years to come, particularly if Trump’s tariffs weigh heavily on Kiwi exporters and lead them to invest even more in New Zealand’s biggest trading partner.

Internal problems intrude

The Chinese president was not the only participant in Luxon’s program, which included bilateral meetings with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte (encouraged to conclude her remarks by one of her own officials), Vietnamese President Lương Cường and the new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Subianto spoke of his country’s desire to work more closely with the Pacific Islands Forum, while Luxon expressed thanks for Indonesia’s role in the release of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens from West Papua.

The Prime Minister also participated in a CEO Summit roundtable on financial access and economic growth, alongside International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Yet while the topics of e-invoicing and debanking were undoubtedly important, a few delegates in front of the media space were interested in another area of ​​New Zealand politics, as they observed while watching a video of the Te Pāti Māori parliamentary haka on their phone.

The story was picked up by several international media outlets and went viral on social media, providing an unwelcome reminder to Luxon that a seemingly national issue like the Treaty Principles Bill could begin to affect New York’s global reputation. Zeeland.

The prime minister said the subject had not come up during any of his discussions at Apec and reiterated his party’s opposition to the “divisive” law: “It’s too simplistic to say ‘with the stroke of a pen we’re going to resolve 184 years of debate, and I just think we have the best approach, which is actually looking at issue by issue, wrestling with them, tackling them, working on them together and to move forward on this basis.

Luxon will soon be thrown back into this maelstrom, but first there is the small matter of Apec leaders withdrawing and issues on which member economies can agree on a common approach.

It seems unlikely that outgoing US President Joe Biden, whom Luxon met on the sidelines of a gala dinner, will play a major role in shaping the outcome. Instead, it could be that Xi is seeking to further assert China’s position as a leading voice on global economic issues.