The "C" in APEC stands for Cooperation. But when the two biggest members are fighting a trade war and using the forum to attack each other's policies, it was always going to be hard work delivering on that.
The weekend's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby was one of open disagreement, led by disputes between the United States and China over trade, security, and who would be the better investment partner for the region.
As APEC approaches its 30th anniversary, the failure to agree on a communique for the first time calls into question its relevance in a crowded summit calendar and as the Trump administration makes clear its aversion to multilateralism.