“It’s gonna be great for everybody,” President Donald Trump said of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, even as trade friction between the two superpowers mounts.
Speaking in Japan, Trump confirmed the “big meeting” for Thursday in South Korea, where both leaders will attend the APEC summit. He expressed high confidence, stating it “is going to work out very well.”
This optimism comes amid a fresh round of trade hostilities. A recent calm was broken when China restricted its rare earth exports, prompting a US threat of 100% tariffs on Chinese goods from November 1.
The economic dispute has also seen the US add port fees to Chinese ships, leading to a predictable wave of countermeasures from Beijing.
Trump’s Asia trip has centered on trade, and this meeting is the main event. He signaled that both sides are ready for comprehensive talks, noting they each have “a lot to talk about.”
