US Secretary of State Antony Blinken takes a veiled swipe at China ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit and the US-China leaders' meeting. Blinken emphasizes the importance of a region where economies have the freedom to choose their own path. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in the US for his first visit since 2017 and is set to meet with US President Joe Biden and attend the APEC summit. The meeting between Biden and Xi is seen as an opportunity to reduce tensions in the US-China rivalry. Economic issues will be a key focus of the discussions.