World leaders head to Asia for back-to-back diplomatic summits

World leaders are converging on Asia for a series of high-stakes diplomatic summits this week, with the focus on trade, technology, and regional security amid the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China. Trump, who recently lost the midterm elections, will be the first American president to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders' meeting in China's Shenzhen, a city known for its advanced technology industry.

The meeting comes shortly after a scandal involving Nvidia, a US chipmaker, and its CEO's alleged involvement with a Chinese spy.

The Apec summit is expected to feature a three-way meeting between Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which some experts compare to the historic Yalta conference of 1945 - a gathering of key leaders that shaped the post-war world order. However, analysts believe the current meeting is more symbolic than substantive, as the participants' interests and concerns differ.

The summit's agenda includes discussions on nuclear arms control, denuclearisation, and strategic partnerships between the three countries. Meanwhile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting is taking place in the Philippines, with Trump scheduled to attend on Wednesday. During his visit, US officials will hold a meeting with Australia, India, Japan, and the US, collectively known as the Quad.

A Francophone summit involving Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron is also happening concurrently in Cambodia.

Some of the critical issues at these summits include AI supply chains and governance, tariff reductions, and the green energy transition. Trump's primary focus will be on denuclearisation, while the regional focus will be on the South China Sea and the Indonesian forest fire crisis. Myanmar's humanitarian and security crisis, as well as the contested status of Taiwan, will also be discussed.

The United States' engagement in the region is often seen as a continuation of the "pivot to Asia" strategy initiated by President Obama, which aimed to balance relationships with both superpowers. However, Trump's unpredictable and transactional approach may have unsettled smaller nations in the region. Jayant Menon, an economist, suggests that Southeast Asian countries have been seeking alternative partnerships to reduce their dependence on the US market.

Despite China's more predictable policies, its actions in the South China Sea, where it has been constructing military outposts in contested waters, present a challenge for regional neighbors. Diplomats at the Asean summit will address these territorial disputes while assessing how to help Myanmar reintegrate into the international community after a coup. The week's diplomacy culminates with the G20 summit in Miami, Florida.