US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on October 30. This meeting will take place during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which occurs from October 31 to November 1 in Gyeongju, South Korea. The White House confirmed the meeting, highlighting that it has been in planning for weeks amidst rising tensions between the two countries.
This will be the first face-to-face encounter for both leaders since Trump resumed his presidential duties. In recent developments, Trump has indicated a potential 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting in November, contingent on China’s response to tightened restrictions on its rare earth exports. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the bilateral meeting aims to address ongoing issues of concern.
In addition to the meeting with Xi, Trump is set to engage with South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung and participate in a working dinner with other leaders during his visit. This trip includes an earlier stop in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, where Trump will meet with other regional leaders, including Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Trump and Xi communicated at least three times earlier this year, with their most recent discussion occurring in September regarding TikTok’s operations in the United States. Their last in-person meeting was in 2019. Trump has expressed that direct communication with Xi is a key strategy for resolving various points of contention, including tariffs and trade disputes.
Currently, the US and China maintain a delicate trade ceasefire established in May, but tensions have heightened following China’s recent export controls on rare earths, which are critical to numerous industries, including technology and automotive sectors.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw9vy19qvgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss