Sheinbaum to Speak to 1,000 Business Leaders at APEC in China
Sheinbaum will attend the APEC summit in China Nov. 17 to 19, pursue smart-hospital and solar cooperation, and address 1,000 business leaders.
President Sheinbaum will travel to China for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit from Nov. 17 to 19, according to Expansión Política. Mexico plans to use the trip to discuss smart hospitals, renewable energy, waste transformation and scientific development with the Chinese government.
She will also be a keynote speaker before the APEC Business Advisory Council, a group of 1,000 business people from the 21 participating economies.
What Mexico wants from China
Sheinbaum said one of her main interests is to learn the Chinese model of smart hospitals and judge whether it could be added to Mexico’s health system. She also plans to seek cooperation on solar power generation and photovoltaic panels, and to explain what Plan México is.
On renewables, she said Mexico wants to bring the development of renewable energy sources into a more bilateral relationship with China. Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard will stay in China for more days than the president to handle other trade matters.
Keynote, meetings and plenary
Ebrard said Sheinbaum will be the only head of state besides Xi Jinping to deliver a message to the business representatives. He added that she plans bilateral meetings with representatives of Canada, Australia and Vietnam. She will also take part in the Leaders’ Plenary.
What this means for Mexico and its ties with Washington
Mexico will chair APEC in 2028 and host that year’s summit, so this year’s meeting puts the country in front of the forum it will later lead.
Sheinbaum ruled out that a meeting with Xi would damage her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the report, she expects to meet Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in connection with the G20 summit scheduled for December.
Which agreements, if any, come out of the talks on hospitals and solar power has not been announced.
Why the Chinese hospital model matters
The health-system interest is the most specific item on the agenda. Sheinbaum framed it as a way to see how the Chinese approach works first and then judge whether pieces of it could fit Mexican public health care. No purchase or agreement has been announced, so the trip is best read as a fact-finding step.
A trip split between two officials
Ebrard will remain in China after the president leaves. That points to a second track of talks on trade that runs separately from the summit speeches and bilateral meetings. The report does not say which trade subjects he will handle.
The 2028 connection
Because Mexico will chair APEC and host the leaders’ summit in 2028, this year’s attendance doubles as preparation. A keynote slot before the business council gives the president a platform to explain Plan México to executives from across the region, a group that Mexico will need to bring to its own summit later.
Source: Expansión Política
