
(DailyVantage.com) – President Biden was noticeably positioned in the back row of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit family photo on Saturday, while Chinese President Xi Jinping stood front and center. The annual gathering, held this year in Lima, Peru, featured leaders from across the region, but Biden’s placement raised eyebrows as a departure from the prominent spots typically given to U.S. presidents.
In the photo, Xi Jinping stood at the center alongside Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, the summit’s host, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese nearby. Biden, meanwhile, was seen smiling and chatting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in the far corner of the back row.
The contrast was particularly stark compared to previous APEC photos. Last year, during the summit in San Francisco, Biden stood front and center flanked by Xi and Trudeau. In 2017, former President Donald Trump was prominently positioned near the front alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The conference followed a momentous U.S. presidential election in which Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump in a decisive victory. The election outcome, which reshaped perceptions of U.S. leadership globally, came just days before the APEC summit.
During the event, Biden held closed-door meetings with several leaders, including Boluarte and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, focusing on economic partnerships and security issues. However, the optics of the photo underscored a shifting dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region, where China’s growing influence continues to dominate. Xi’s prominent placement highlighted Beijing’s expanding clout in both regional and global matters.
Biden’s appearance at the summit came shortly after his meeting with Trump at the White House to discuss the upcoming transition of power. Despite the political tensions surrounding the election, the meeting between the outgoing and incoming presidents appeared cordial.
“I look forward… to having a smooth transition. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need,” Biden told Trump during the meeting.
Trump replied, “I appreciate very much the transition that’s so smooth. It will be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that.”
As Biden prepares to leave office, his placement at the back of the APEC photo may serve as a symbolic reminder of the shifting global order and the challenges facing U.S. influence in an increasingly multipolar world.
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