WASHINGTON/SEOUL: US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday. The meeting, previously in doubt due to escalating trade tensions, has now been reaffirmed.
Leavitt told reporters that Trump will leave for Malaysia late Friday night, followed by visits to Japan and South Korea, where he is scheduled to meet Xi after addressing the APEC CEO Summit.
“On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China, before departing to return home,” Leavitt said.
Trump: “Will ask him about fentanyl”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump vowed to raise the issue of fentanyl smuggling, accusing China of using Venezuela as a transit hub to ship the deadly synthetic opioid into the US.
“I’m meeting with President Xi… The first question I’m going to be asking him about is fentanyl. They make $100 million selling fentanyl into our country. They lose $100 billion with the 20% tariff. So it’s not a good business proposition,” Trump said.
High-stakes talks ahead
The upcoming meeting carries significant weight as both leaders face pressure to ease tensions that threaten to damage the world’s two largest economies. Trump has indicated willingness to reduce tariffs on Chinese exports if Beijing agrees to key concessions — including resuming US soybean purchases, curbing the export of fentanyl ingredients, and lifting restrictions on rare earth minerals vital to high-tech manufacturing.
According to The Guardian, rare-earth stocks have drawn intense investor attention as markets await the outcome of the talks. Failure to strike a deal could deepen economic strain on US industries already hit by tariffs.
Despite the risks, Trump appeared optimistic:
“I think we’re going to end up having a fantastic deal with China — it’s going to be fantastic for the entire world,” he told reporters this week.
However, time is running short. The meeting is set to take place just two days before 100% tariffs on Chinese exports to the US are scheduled to take effect. Beijing has yet to officially confirm Xi’s participation.
Other issues on the table
The two leaders are also expected to discuss Taiwan, a major flashpoint in US-China relations. Reports suggest Beijing has urged Washington to formally oppose Taiwanese independence, a stance that would align with China’s claim over the island.
The summit will mark the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since 2019, when they last met at the G20 summit in Japan, according to Politico.
The talks come against the backdrop of intensifying trade and geopolitical frictions, with Trump also linking the discussions to his broader goal of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. “Xi would now like to see that war end,” the president remarked, hinting at potential diplomatic engagement beyond trade.
