From Page 1 // Ardern may meet Xi at summit

North Korea has in recent weeks sent missiles over Japan and near South Korean territory.

Southeast Asian nations continue to grapple with a crisis in Myanmar, where a military junta deposed an elected government and jailed its leader, Nobel Peace Prizewinning Aung San Suu Kyi.

‘‘I used to sit with Aung San Suu Kyi a lot. The seating plan used to have me positioned next to her; I’m now the only woman at the East Asia Summit. So that weighs on my mind,’’ Ardern said.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February, hiking oil prices and sparking a food crisis that has countries turning to protectionist trade policies – a concern to New Zealand and its food producing export economy.

Ardern wouldn’t ‘‘name names’’ but said some leaders were calling ‘‘either walking away from existing trade arrangements, or seeking not to engage in future trade dialogue’’.

‘‘We want the world to have access to affordable, nutritious, high quality and trustworthy food sources. Our view is that free trade enables us to do that.’’

It remained uncertain whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend any of the three summits in the coming week. Ardern said, regardless, she would not engage with any Russian representatives.

‘‘However, can you prevent passing someone in a hallway or seeing someone in a meeting room? No.

‘‘If the opportunity ever arose, where I were face-to-face with anyone in the Russian leadership, I would say exactly privately what I say publicly: ‘the war is illegal and must end, for the good of all of us’.’’