Ardern-Xi meeting possible

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has not ruled out a one-on-one meeting with China’s President, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the upcoming Apec summit. Ardern leaves for Southeast Asia today, travelling to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand for the East Asia Summit, a trade mission, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting. Alongside the two regional forums, leaders of the world’s most powerful economies will be attending a G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia. US President Joe Biden and Xi would meet one-onone in Cambodia next week in advance of this meeting. Ardern said she was ‘‘absolutely not’’ seeking a meeting with Biden, whom she met at the White House in May. But asked if she was seeking a meeting with Xi, she said, ‘‘we’ll confirm bilaterals closer to the time’’. Ardern said she would be prioritising meetings with new leaders she had not yet met, a list that included Philippines President Ferdinand ‘‘Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob and Chilean President Gabriel Boric.