LIMA, Peru — Representatives from 21 members representing the Pacific region began their meeting in Peru on Friday for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forumthe first global summit since US President-elect Donald Trump’s victory with several major world leaders.

The annual gathering brings together countries and members who jointly stand for almost two-thirds of global GDP and half the world’s trade, according to the organizers. The confirmed heads of government attending Lima include outgoing US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who the world is wondering about. how a new American government can upend global dynamics.

Leaders and other representatives will hold closed discussions in the morning among themselves, after a welcome speech by Perus President Dina Boluarte which focused on the need to promote inclusive growth and reduce informal labor in APEC economies.

“Our goal is to level the playing field and provide all the necessary tools for inclusion in social, financial and commercial spaces,” Boluarte said. “We firmly believe that growth starts with inclusion and that this is only possible through the empowerment of citizens who are the engine of our economies.”

APEC is will be one of Biden’s last global summits before they leave the office, and White House officials insist that his presence as well as his subsequent visit to Brazil for the Group of 20 meeting next week will be significant, with talks to focus on climate issues, global infrastructure, counter-narcotics efforts. For the first time since last year’s APEC forum, Biden will meet one-on-one Chinese President Xi on Saturday. He will also meet with South Korea Yoon Suk YeolJapan’s Shigeru Ishiba and Peru’s Boluarte.

The officials say Biden will also use the summits to press allies to maintain support for Ukraine as it tries to stave off Russia’s invasion and insists on negotiating an end to Israel’s war in Lebanon and Gaza.

Still, analysts say he will be overshadowed at APEC by Xiwho arrived on Thursday and proceeded to inaugurate a $1.3 billion megaport it is perhaps the clearest sign of Latin America’s ongoing reorientation in the region.

Chancay port will shave 10 days off delivery times to China, which has seen trade with South America boom over the past two decades. Peru’s economy minister in June said neighboring countries are actively modifying their supply chains to take advantage of the port, where the total investment will exceed $3.5 billion.

Ahead of the inauguration at the port, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Lima, locals told The Associated Press that the development has not benefited their economic prospects. On the contrary, they said that the port has impaired their ability to fishwhich threatens their livelihood.

Discontent has grown in the middle-class San Borja neighborhood outside Lima’s Convention Center, where the APEC conference is located. Metal barriers and police outfitted in riot gear surround the perimeter where, for the past two days, anti-government protesters, angered by a spate of gang-driven violence, have chanted slogans demanding their very unpopular president t take measures against the crime wave.

The meetings have turned into clashes with the police, who used batons to drive away the more aggressive protesters on Thursday.

In the afternoon, APEC leaders and representatives will meet with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council. The Council met on Wednesday and called on APEC nations and members to increase inclusive growth and prioritize the needs of micro, small and medium enterprises, especially those led by women and indigenous entrepreneurs.

“While the global economy remains resilient, APEC economies are grappling with persistent inflation, economic disparities, high interest rates and the urgent need to increase investment for a green, climate-resilient future,” said Council President Julia Torreblanca.

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AP writer Isabel DeBre contributed