Lame-duck President Joe Biden found himself positioned in the back row during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit’s annual family photo in Peru, while Chinese President Xi Jinping was placed prominently at the center, alongside Peru’s President Dina Boluarte.
This symbolic sidelining of America’s leader occurred ahead of Biden’s meeting with Xi on Saturday afternoon. The Chinese president has been treated with significant respect throughout the APEC event in Lima, a gesture of gratitude for China’s investment in a major new port on Peru’s coastline.
Biden, 81, whose waning influence has led critics to label him a “super lame duck,” arrived late for the family photo. He took a back-row position, standing between the leaders of Thailand and Vietnam, underscoring his reduced presence both domestically and globally.
The seating arrangement for world leaders at APEC events is typically alphabetical by country. However, historical photographs reveal flexibility in placement, as seen in 2017 when then-President Donald Trump took center stage during the APEC summit in Vietnam, the only such event he attended during his presidency.
This year’s photo deviated from the expected order. Boluarte stood out of place in the front row next to Xi, joined by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso. Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol secured a front-row spot ahead of Biden, further highlighting the American president’s diminished stature.
Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) commented on Biden’s placement, saying, “It’s clear that the world’s leaders don’t take him seriously anymore ever since [Rep] Nancy Pelosi threw him out.” She added, “They probably should have invited President-elect Trump down — I’m sure he would’ve been in the center of the photo with Xi Jinping.”
Other leaders prominently featured in the front row included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Conversely, Biden shared the back row with South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk.
The participants donned brown scarves for the photo, a nod to the host country’s tradition of showcasing local garments. At the 2016 APEC summit in Peru, leaders wore shawls crafted from vicuña wool, a luxurious material from a llama-like animal native to the region.
Former President Trump, known for his refusal to tolerate even minor slights, often ensured his presence was felt at international gatherings. In one instance, he pushed his way to the front of a photo op to secure prominence for himself and the United States.
The White House dismissed suggestions that Biden’s placement was a slight. “It is the same assigned order APEC used in both 2008 and 2016,” stated White House National Security Council Spokesperson Sean Savett. He referenced the positions of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during their final-year appearances at APEC summits in Peru. “This year, a few leaders stood out of order due to protocol errors, but President Biden stood correctly in the United States’ assigned spot.”
Biden’s trip has included moments of perceived indignities, such as the grand reception for Xi compared to the modest welcome extended to the U.S. president when he arrived for the 21-nation summit on Thursday.
“It’s an embarrassment to our country — under Joe Biden, America is weaker, our enemies emboldened, and the world less peaceful,” said Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY). “Jan. 20 can’t come fast enough.”
Accompanied by his daughter Ashley and granddaughter Natalie, Biden is set to visit Brazil on Sunday for an aerial tour of the Amazon rainforest before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit.
Before departing Peru, Biden held a meeting with Xi at the Chinese leader’s hotel, marking their third and final discussion during Biden’s presidency. When asked why the meeting was not hosted at Biden’s accommodations, a White House official explained that such decisions rotate between hosts. “Last year, the U.S. hosted China at the Woodside summit. Whoever is hosting chooses the location,” they said.
Joining Biden were Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who sat across from Xi and his delegation. In his opening remarks, Xi said, “The United States has recently concluded its elections. China’s goal of a stable, healthy, and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged.”
Xi continued, “China is ready to work with the new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of the two peoples.”
U.S. officials noted that Biden plans to highlight efforts to responsibly manage relations with China and emphasize a decline in fentanyl overdose deaths, a result of Xi’s agreement last year to limit exports of the synthetic opioid. Despite this progress, the drug claimed an estimated 223,000 American lives during Biden’s first three years in office, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans for his delayed response.
Meanwhile, Trump, 78, has pledged to resume his tough trade policies with China. He has also proposed a global reparations conference to hold Beijing accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed over a million American lives. Last year, Trump floated the idea of charging China $50 trillion in reparations for its alleged role in the outbreak, which some U.S. agencies, including the FBI, believe may have originated from a lab leak in Wuhan.
{Matzav.com}