Xi Jinping Arrives in Philippines for APEC Leaders' Meeting

Chinese president Xi Jinping has arrived in Manila to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

MANILA (Sputnik) — Xi's participation at the summit had been questioned over the controversy between China and a number of the Southeast Asian countries, which include the Philippines, over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

The APEC summit, uniting 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific has been dominated by the talks of free trade zones to be created in the region.

The leaders of 12 economies who negotiated the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnershop (TPP) deal are expected to sign on it at the APEC summit, yet China is not part of the free trade agreement.

In turn, China is pushing for is the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) which it advocated during its last year’s hosting of the APEC summit.