The Latest: APEC leaders fail to agree on final communique

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – The Latest on the summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Papua New Guinea (all times local):

5:05 p.m.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Papua New Guinea were unable to agree on a final communique.

Trudeau told reporters Sunday that the chair of the meeting, Papua New Guinea, will issue a statement instead.

He says there were differences on trade issues among several countries including China and the U.S., which have been engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war this year.

___

2:05 p.m.

A meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea has highlighted divisions between global powers the U.S. and China and a growing competition for influence in the usually neglected South Pacific.

The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on issues such as trade protectionism, making it likely their final statement Sunday will be an anodyne document.

U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence and China’s President Xi Jinping traded barbs in speeches on Saturday. Pence accused China of intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and unfair trading practices.

In Port Moresby, the impact of China’s aid and loans is highly visible but the U.S. and allies are countering with efforts to finance infrastructure in Papua New Guinea and other island states.