Xi Sidesteps APEC Talks With Biden as Leaders Grapple With Virus

  • Leaders discussed vaccines, international travel during summit
  • Unprecedented virtual summit hosted by New Zealand’s Ardern
U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House.Photographer: Tom Brenner/Bloomberg
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U.S. President Joe Biden and global leaders from across the Pacific held a virtual APEC meeting Friday to discuss how the world could best emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, even as nations continue to grapple with a deadly resurgence of virus cases.

But the virtual session did not feature a highly-anticipated discussion between Biden and Xi Jinping after the Chinese leader opted to record a message and didn’t participate in a virtual roundtable, according to a diplomatic source familiar with the event.