President Joe Biden embarks on what may be his final international tour this week with a significant trip to South America, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, make a historic visit to the Amazon rainforest, and attend two major summits.
This visit comes just over a week after the U.S. election, which has cast uncertainty over America’s future role on the global stage as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.
Biden’s first stop is Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he will meet with Peru’s President Dina Boluarte and other world leaders. Biden’s participation at APEC will be closely watched, as Trump has pledged to impose substantial tariffs that could reshape global trade.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that Biden aims to “reinforce America’s leading role in the Indo-Pacific” and highlighted the president’s success in strengthening America’s strategic influence in the region, which he plans to pass on to Trump. Sullivan described Biden’s relations with Indo-Pacific partners as at “a literal all-time high.”
On Saturday, Biden’s meeting with China’s President Xi will mark their first encounter since last November in California—and is expected to be their final one as presidents.