Chinese President Xi Jinping has snubbed meetings with world leaders despite travelling to South America for the two-day talks among Pacific-rim nations.
It remains unclear why Mr Xi has failed to attend public and closed-door meetings with APEC leaders in Lima, Peru, just a day after opening a new Chinese-operated megaport north of the capital.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters he was unsure why Mr Xi did not attend the leaders' meeting, in which he informally caught up with outgoing US President Joe Biden.
The APEC meeting is happening in the shadow of Donald Trump's looming return to the White House.
His threats to impose a 60 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, and up to 20 per cent on other countries, is being closely analysed at the meeting.
Trump's America-first agenda includes the prospect of the United States withdrawing from its leadership on the world stage, creating a void that the Chinese president is eager to fill.
Before flying to South America, Mr Albanese said he hoped to use Australia's influence as a middle power to prevent a trade war breaking out between the US and China.
His comments were warmly received by Chinese state media. On the eve of the APEC summit, an editorial in the China Daily lauded Mr Albanese's comments and approach, urging other countries to follow Australia's lead.
"Australia's ties with China deteriorated when the previous Australian government fell under Washington's anti-China spell," the editorial states.
"But Canberra has woken up to the significance of those ties under the Albanese government and set out repairing them.
"The strategic autonomy the Albanese government has displayed has proved that those ties are in both parties' interests.
"It is also evident that economic ties with China and the US do not have to be mutually exclusive."
When asked what he made of those comments, Mr Albanese said he did not subscribe to China Daily.
Climate change high on APEC agenda
Leaders at APEC have repeated the need for countries to continue to curb carbon emissions, a pledge Mr Albanese has echoed on the sidelines of the summit.
But he remains unwilling to set a 2035 target, like new British Prime Minister Keir Stamer did earlier this week.
Mr Albanese told reporters his government remained focused on its legislated 2030 target and would not commit to setting a 2035 target before the next election.
"We're committing to a 2030 target. It's legislated," he said.
"2030 comes before 2035 and we're focused on delivering, and we're on track to delivering, that target."
Joe Biden attends summits as he farewells leaders
Mr Biden and Mr Albanese spoke as leaders gathered for their first meeting, at times sharing a laugh.
Mr Albanese described Mr Biden as being in "good form".
He said the two had a discussion but he would not reveal the contents of what they said.
The US president is slated to meet with Mr Xi tomorrow in Lima, where the two are expected to discuss growing tensions between the two superpowers.
Mr Albanese will not hold formal talks with Mr Biden but is expected to meet with Mr Xi on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the coming days.
At that meeting, global trade and climate action are expected to be high on the agenda, with nations eager to ring fence efforts on both fronts from the future Trump administration.
Mr Xi appears eager to woo countries in the region, which might have otherwise looked north to the US for trade and economic support, to instead look to China instead.
The new Chinese port in Lima will provide passage for South American agricultural commodities and mineral resources to set sail for China, where there is an insatiable appetite for both exports.
Ahead of the meetings he failed to attend, Mr Xi's commerce minister delivered a speech on behalf of the Chinese leader, in which he foreshadowed the world was entering a period of uncertainty.
"The world has entered a new period of turmoil and change," Mr Xi said.
"Unilateralism and protectionism are spreading, the fragmentation of the world economy has intensified."
"Hindering economic cooperation under various pretexts, insisting on isolating the interdependent world, is reversing the course of history," he added.
