US President Donald Trump will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in South Korea on October 30 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, the White House has confirmed.
The meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies had been under discussion for weeks but faced uncertainty amid escalating trade tensions. It will mark their first face-to-face encounter since Trump’s return to office.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the bilateral meeting during a briefing on Thursday, noting that it will take place alongside the APEC Summit, scheduled from October 31 to November 1 in the eastern city of Gyeongju.
Trump has recently threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods from November if Beijing does not ease its new restrictions on rare earth exports — a move that has fueled renewed trade friction between the two powers.
“We have a pretty long meeting scheduled,” Trump said earlier this week. “We can work out a lot of our doubts and questions and our tremendous assets together. I think something will work out. We have a very good relationship, but that will be a big one.”
China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao expressed optimism on Friday, saying that past negotiations demonstrated the possibility of finding “solutions to each other’s concerns” and promoting “healthy, stable, and sustainable development” in bilateral trade relations.
During his trip to Asia, Trump is also expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and attend a working dinner with regional leaders. His itinerary includes a stop in Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, where he will meet leaders from Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan — including Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi.
Trump and Xi have spoken at least three times this year, most recently in September, when they discussed TikTok’s US operations. Their last in-person meeting took place in 2019 during Trump’s first term.
The US and China have maintained a fragile trade truce brokered in May, which prevented the imposition of triple-digit tariffs. However, China’s recent tightening of export controls on rare earth elements — critical materials for electronics and vehicles — prompted Trump’s renewed tariff threats.
In a social media post earlier this month, Trump accused Beijing of trying to hold the world “captive” and becoming “very hostile.” He even hinted at canceling the upcoming meeting before later confirming his attendance.
China remains the dominant global producer of rare earth elements, essential for manufacturing smartphones, electric vehicles, and defense technologies — making the upcoming Trump-Xi talks a pivotal moment for global trade stability.
