Copyright kyivpost
US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met face-to-face in Busan, South Korea, Thursday morning, kicking off a high-stakes encounter designed to stabilize the deeply troubled relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The highly anticipated summit began with cautiously warm greetings but quickly underscored the profound disagreements – from massive tariffs to global security flashpoints like the war in Ukraine. The meeting began at 11:08 a.m. local time, following months of heated trade squabbling that has rattled global markets and investor confidence. Frictions and friendship: Opening exchange Trump, flanked by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, greeted the Chinese leader with familiar, if transactional, praise, according to White House pool reports. “We’re going to have a very successful meeting, I have no doubt,” Trump said. “But he’s a very tough negotiator — that’s not good.” He quickly pivoted to emphasizing the personal connection, adding, “We’ll have a great understanding. We’ve always had a great relationship.” President Xi, speaking quietly through a translator, struck a more measured, diplomatic tone. He acknowledged the “frictions” but stressed the imperative for cooperation. “Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other,” Xi said. “It is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then,” he added. The Chinese leader urged the two nations to strive to be “partners and friends” who can “jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries.” Trade truce on the table As the meeting transitioned from pleasantries to substance, the immediate goal became clear: to finalize a “basic consensus” on a trade framework — a deal foreshadowed by high-level preparatory talks last week in Malaysia. Both sides signaled a willingness to step back from the brink of a massive tariff escalation. A senior Trump administration official told Kyiv Post that the US President would likely not follow through on his recent threat of a staggering 100% import tax on Chinese goods, a threat issued over Beijing’s rare earth restrictions. Crucially, Trump announced on his flight to the region that he expects to reduce the existing 20% tariffs placed on Chinese imports related to fentanyl precursors. “I expect to be lowering that because I believe that they’re going to help us with the fentanyl situation,” Trump told reporters prior to the meeting. China is considered the primary source of the chemicals used to manufacture the deadly opioid fentanyl, a major contributor to overdose deaths in the US. While reporters pressed the leaders on key unresolved issues – specifically, whether China would resume massive purchases of US soybeans and if Taiwan would be discussed – neither leader provided an immediate answer. Shadow of Russia and Ukraine Beyond the immediate trade crisis, Russia’s war in Ukraine cast a long shadow over the bilateral talks. Trump has openly sought China’s assistance in leveraging its relationship with Moscow to bring an end to the war. A senior US official confirmed that Washington intends to press Beijing on its economic ties with Russia, which critics argue help fund the ongoing war effort. The discussions on Russia and Ukraine add a significant geopolitical layer to an already complex summit, challenging China’s stated position of neutrality and placing it directly in the center of the largest European conflict since World War II. Entourage and the environment The US delegation featured key cabinet members, including Secretary Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with Ambassador to China David Perdue. Despite the gravity of the discussions, moments of candid observation filtered through the White House press pool reports — including Susie Wiles appearing to adjust her headset channel while President Xi was speaking. As Trump wrapped his public remarks, he avoided answering a question from reporters about his change in nuclear testing policy, simply responding: “Thank you very much everybody.”
