Trump and Xi hold high-level meeting in South Korea Amid Tensions

Washington – President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for more than 90 minutes in Busan, South Korea, as the two leaders looked to reach a trade deal they could win.

The face-to-face session began shortly after 11 a.m. local time Thursday, or 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday, at a South Korean military base. The leaders of the world’s two largest economies – locked in a long-running trade war – shook hands and delivered brief press briefings ahead of their first meetings, behind closed doors.

Mr Trump said he has a good relationship with Xi “but he’s a very hard hitter. That’s not good.”

Xi said that trade talks from both sides have progressed to address “great concerns” and believes that the US and China should be “partners and friends.”

“Given our different national situations, we don’t always see eye to eye with each other, and it is normal for those leading world bodies to receive international cases now, although they show that the relationship has”

An hour and 40 minutes later, the XI and Mr. Trump emerged from the building, exchanged hands and went about their business without speaking to reporters. Mr. Trump then boarded Air Force One, which was traveling to Washington, DC

While en route to the US, Mr Trump described the meeting as a great success. “

He told reporters that he will go to China in April for new talks “and he will be coming here sometime after this, whether it’s Florida, Palm Beach or Washington, DC.

“Many things we have done to complete” during Thursday’s talks, the President added, calling the XI “a great leader of a powerful country”.

The President said he has decided to reduce his tariffs on Chinese imports from 57% to 47% after talks included offering XI to Curtail the Shipment of Fentanyl Fentanyl Ingredients Us

China is the third trading partner of the US, after only Mexico and Canada, with the US buying $ 438.9 in high tariffs last year, when China buys high prices from the US but because of throwing illegal sales and trade allegations.

The two sides briefly imposed large tit-for-tat tariffs on each other in April, before delaying those tariffs to buy time for negotiations. In August, Mr. Trump signed a major measure to delay the return of high tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days, extending the break until mid-November.

US and Chinese officials have been holding trade talks for months leading up to Thursday’s Trump-XI meeting.

Mr. Trump’s threat imposes a surcharge of 100% In Chinese houses starting in November. 1 “successfully on the table” for now, Treasurer Scott Bessent said Sunday “Face the nation with Margaret Brennan.” Mr Trump threatened additional tariffs of 100% – which would bring China’s tariffs as high as 155% – in retaliation for China’s sharply increased export controls on Rare Earth minerals and magnets. China has the majority of the world’s supply of those raw materials, which are critical to the formation of key technological areas such as semiconductors and missiles.

Bessent said he expects Mr. Trump and XI sign the agreement Thursday puts TikTok under US majority ownership, although the Chinese-owned company still has a minority stake of less than 20%.

Defense is another point of contention between China and the US Mr. Pump’s first Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said Mr. Trump should commit to Taiwan’s independence.

“XI Jinping is expected to press President Trump to be clear about the US position on Taiwan at their meeting this week,” wrote Pompeo Media. “America must slow down — and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Taiwan’s sovereignty and independence from Beijing.”

But on the way home, Mr. Trump told reporters that he and Xi did not discuss Taiwan.

The moments before the meeting with Xi began, Mr. Trump wrote on social media that he directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing. The President said earlier on Wednesday That he will allow South Korea, China’s rival, to develop a nuclear submarine.

Finally, if Mr. Trump and Xi met in person at the Group of 20 summit in Japan in 2019, although the two leaders spoke by phone. The last White House interview between the two men was on September 19.

Busan, known as the center of education and culture in Southeastern Southeastern Korea, is the second most populous city in South Korea after its capital, Seoul. The XI meeting is the last item on the agenda of Mr. Trump’s plan for his five-day trip to Asia, concluding a trip primarily aimed at strengthening economic ties and cement trade agreements in the Southern region and Cementrak.