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Donald Trump has said that he is “looking forward” to his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday. His remark came just before Xi Jinping departed his country to be in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. “Very much looking forward to my meeting with President Xi of China. It will take place in a few hours!” Donald Trump wrote on his official Truth Social platform. Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social On Wednesday, during his speech at the APEC Summit, the US President had said the expected trade deal would be good for both countries and “something very exciting for everybody”. “That’s really a great result. That’s better than fighting and going through all sorts of problems,” Trump said in an address to a business luncheon on the sidelines of the APEC gathering in Gyeongju. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping were set to hold talks in South Korea on Thursday morning, seeking a return to a fragile trade war truce between the world’s two largest economies. The meeting, the first between the leaders since Trump returned to office in January, is due to begin at 11 am local time (0200 GMT) in the southern port city of Busan, capping off the US President’s whirlwind trip around Asia. Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism about reaching agreement with Xi during the summit, taking place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, buoyed by a breakthrough in trade talks with South Korea on Wednesday. However, with both countries increasingly willing to play hardball over areas of economic and geopolitical competition, which analysts see as a new Cold War, many questions remain about how long any trade detente may last. The trade war reignited this month after Beijing proposed dramatically expanding curbs on exports of rare-earth minerals vital for high-tech applications, a sector China dominates. Trump vowed to retaliate with additional 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese exports, and with other steps including potential curbs on exports to China made with US software, moves that could have upended the global economy. Ahead of the Summit, China bought its first cargoes of US soybeans in several months, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the White House has signaled it hopes the Summit will be the first of several between Trump and Xi in the coming year, including possible leader visits to each country, indicating a protracted negotiation process. Trump said on Wednesday he expects to reduce US tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Beijing’s commitment to curb the flow of precursor chemicals to make fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of American overdose deaths. Trump has also said he might sign a final deal with Xi on TikTok, the social media app that faces a US ban unless its Chinese owners divest its US operations. Beijing is willing to work together for “positive results”, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday. ALSO READ | South Korea Gifts US President Gold Crown, Trump Says ‘Would Like To Wear It Now’
