San Francisco will be the site of next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Vice President Kamala Harris announced, giving the U.S. a high-profile chance to showcase its vision for the region’s future.
The 2023 APEC summit will be held the week of Nov. 12 in San Francisco, Harris said in a statement Saturday while attending this year’s gathering in Bangkok. The location at the heart of Silicon Valley will give the Biden administration an opportunity to highlight America’s technological dominance at a time of increasingly fraught competition with China.
“Our host year will demonstrate the enduring economic commitment of the United States to the Indo-Pacific,” Harris said. “We are working to strengthen our economic relationships throughout the region, including by increasing two-way trade flows and the free flow of capital, which supports millions of American jobs.”
Harris — an Oakland native who previously represented California in the U.S. Senate and served as San Francisco district attorney — was in Thailand to represent U.S. President Joe Biden at the APEC leaders meeting.
The U.S. is seeking to reaffirm its commitment to the fast-growing region as China expands its economic influence and military might. Harris met briefly with President Xi Jinping as Asia-Pacific leaders assembled for the final day of meetings in Bangkok, just days after Biden held his first face-to-face summit with the Chinese president in Bali, Indonesia.
