Trump, Xi to Meet at APEC Summit Amid US-China Trade Tensions: What’s on the Agenda?

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will be meeting next Thursday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit as the two countries aim to dial down tensions over their recent tariff measures White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting’s timing during a press briefing on Thursday. “I think we’re going to come out very well and everyone’s going to be very happy,” Trump said at the Oval Office later in the day.The meeting in South Korea — the host of this year’s APEC summit — will mark the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. They have spoken three times this year, most recently in September. Their last in-person meeting took place in 2019 during Trump’s first term. The US president has repeatedly argued that direct engagement with Xi is the best way to address a range of disputes, including tariffs, export controls, agricultural trade, fentanyl trafficking and tensions over Taiwan. Trump has described his relationship with Xi as “great”, but that rapport faces a new test amid escalating economic and geopolitical friction. Earlier this month, Trump briefly threatened to cancel the meeting following China’s decision to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals. What is the Importance of the Meet? The talks will take place days before a temporary trade truce between Washington and Beijing is set to expire on November 10, unless both sides agree to extend it. The pause in tariff increases — renewed several times this year — helped cool the trade war but has come under strain as both countries introduce new measures.Also Read: America’s ‘Hidden’ Move That Sparked China’s Fierce Trade Retaliation Against US The US has expanded technology restrictions on Chinese firms, proposed levies on Chinese vessels docking at US ports, and is weighing further export limits on key software. In response, Beijing has outlined tighter curbs on rare earth exports, vital for industries such as technology, energy and transportation. Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods from November 1 if Beijing does not ease its restrictions, although he has also acknowledged that such high tariffs are “not sustainable.” The Chinese curbs have drawn international criticism and prompted some countries to seek alternative supply chains. In recent days, Trump has predicted that his meeting with Xi will result in a “good deal” on “everything” related to trade. The Trump-Xi meeting will conclude the US president’s upcoming trip to Asia, which includes stops in Malaysia and Japan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWTo1nz-09YAccording to Leavitt, Trump will depart Washington on Friday evening and arrive in Malaysia early Sunday for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. He is expected to meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend an ASEAN leaders’ dinner. On Monday, Trump will travel to Tokyo to meet Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, before flying to South Korea on Wednesday. There, he will meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, deliver a keynote address at the APEC CEO luncheon, and join a working dinner with other summit participants.