Trump and Xi to Meet at APEC Summit in South Korea Next Week
Leaders to tackle tariffs, tech, and tensions next Thursday.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet next Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, the White House announced, as the leaders of the world’s two largest economies aim to defuse a heated trade war. The high-stakes talks, confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Thursday briefing, mark their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office in January, following phone calls earlier this year.
Trump, who has often praised his rapport with Xi, expressed optimism about the meeting, stating, “I think we’re going to come out very well and everyone’s going to be very happy.” The summit comes at a critical juncture, with a trade truce between the US and China set to expire on November 10 unless extended. This pause on escalated tariffs, renewed multiple times in 2025, has been strained by recent tit-for-tat measures. The US has tightened tech restrictions, proposed levies on Chinese ships at American ports, and is mulling further export curbs on critical software. China, in response, has imposed stricter controls on rare-earth minerals, vital for technology, energy, and transportation sectors, prompting global backlash and efforts to diversify supply chains.
The meeting follows weeks of rising tensions, with Trump briefly threatening to cancel the talks over China’s mineral export curbs. He has warned of imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting November 1 if Beijing doesn’t back down, though he acknowledged such high levies are “not sustainable.” Meanwhile, China’s Communist Party, after a recent Central Committee meeting, vowed to boost self-reliance in technology to counter US restrictions.
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The Trump-Xi talks are part of a broader Asia trip for the US president, starting with a visit to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, where he’ll meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend a leaders’ dinner. Trump will then travel to Tokyo for a meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, before heading to South Korea to meet President Lee Jae Myung, deliver a keynote at the APEC CEO luncheon, and join a working dinner with other leaders.
As global markets watch closely, Asian stocks rose Friday, reflecting optimism about de-escalating tensions. Trump has predicted a “good deal” on trade issues, including tariffs, agricultural purchases, fentanyl trafficking, and geopolitical concerns like Taiwan. With both leaders under pressure to stabilize economic ties, the outcome of this summit could reshape US-China relations and global trade dynamics.
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