Meeting with Trump, Xi not on Marcos' schedule during APEC Summit — DFA

There is no scheduled meeting between President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. and United States President Donald Trump during the 2025 APEC Summit in South Korea.

This was according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday.

''At the moment, there is no scheduled meeting with the US leader,'' DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said.

Asked if Marcos would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Escalona said so far, there's no scheduled meeting as well with China's leader.

''Also, no scheduled meeting,'' she said.

The White House already confirmed that Trump would meet his Chinese counterpart in South Korea.

Bilateral meetings

The DFA official, however, said there are two bilateral meetings being ironed out but she did not disclose further details.

''We are looking at possibly two bilateral meetings but these are still being finalized,'' she said.

Escalona said Marcos' participation would center on advancing the Philippine’s economic interests, forging deeper ties with APEC members and reaffirming the commitment to APEC’s vision of a ''more open, prosperous and dynamic Asia-Pacific in a rapidly transforming regional landscape.''

She also said the two sessions of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting are expected to yield outcome documents, including the leaders' declaration as well as three statements on artificial Intelligence, on demographic change and cultural creative industries.

''These topics reflect the priorities set by Korea as this year’s APEC host and tackle trends that impact economic growth across the region,'' she said.

Aside from the leaders meeting, the President will also attend the Leaders’ Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council or ABAC.

He is also expected to deliver a speech at the APEC CEO Summit.

''This gathering brings together representatives from APEC members and top business executives to discuss key economic issues facing the region,'' Escalona said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News