Fresh from the success of creating the world's largest free trade region, China's President Xi Jinping will be among the speakers tomorrow, heralding an Asia-Pacific virtual summit that US President Donald Trump has decided to skip.

Last week, 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the China-backed accord, which excludes the United States, will loom large over the virtual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) hosted by Malaysia. A dozen of Apec's 21 members signed up to RCEP...