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Justin Trudeau, Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto vie for #APEChottie at Philippines summit

The APEC summit in the Philippines is all about trade, development and economy. But a decidedly different summit discussion is playing out on social media, spawned by the attendance of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto — which world leader is more attractive?

Popular hashtag pits looks of the Canadian PM against his Mexican presidential counterpart

Haydn Watters · CBC News ·
The hashtag #APEChotties has blown up on Twitter, spawned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who are in attendance at the Philippines summit. (Bullit Marquez/Associated Press/Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

With the APEC summit underway in the Philippines, leaders from some of the world's most powerful countries have gathered in Manila to talk trade, development and economy. 

But there's a decidedly different summit discussion playing out on social media, spawned by the attendance of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto — which world leader is more attractive?

The debate is centred around the hashtag #APEChottie, which first took off on Twitter in the Philippines Tuesday morning, though it has now spread globally. 

Many Twitter users are billing Trudeau as an endearing "Canadian bae", while Pena Nieto is being pegged as the Mexican papi, or father.

Sure, it's an unconventional way of getting people to pay attention to the APEC proceedings...

... but it's got people talking. The popularity of the hashtag took quite a few people by surprise.

This tweet roughly translates into "My face when I discovered this hashtag."

Many swooned for Mexico's papi Pena Nieto...

...but a rough count of the hashtag support showed more were in favour of Canada's 'bae'.

Trudeau's physical appearance has been largely talked about in the international press since he won the election in October.

The Mirror, a UK-based newspaper, even ran a piece titled "Is Justin Trudeau the sexiest politician in the world?"

Some had other ideas in mind for the 'hottie' of the summit.

That's a photo of host leader Benigno Aquino III, the president of the Philippines. 

Through all that admiration, there were some naysayers, 'disgusted' by the 'madness' of it all.

The best way to sum it up? Overwhelming and confusing.

The APEC leaders summit continues in the Philippines until Thursday, while the APEC CEO Summit wraps up Wednesday.

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