After trading barbs, Xi and Pence chat on Apec summit sidelines

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping watch as Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad looks for his spot at a family photo with leaders and their spouses during the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. AP

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen chatting for a minute and a half on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting Saturday evening, hours after making speeches that strongly attacked each country’s trade and other policies.

Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim nations at the meeting were gathering for a group photo in the Apec summit’s signature colorful shirts when the encounter happened.

Video shows Pence talking animatedly with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when Xi arrived in the room. Xi greeted other leaders and stopped to talk with Pence, an interpreter showing up as the conversation began.

Neither side has commented on what was discussed.

In his speech, Pence said there would be no letup in President Donald Trump’s policy of combating China’s mercantilist trade policy and intellectual property theft that has erupted into a tit-for-tat tariff war between the two world powers this year. /cbb