Trump and Xi could meet during APEC summit in South Korea - CNN
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump may meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in early October, according to CNN.
Sources say the White House, along with Trump’s advisers, is secretly preparing for a trip to South Korea for the APEC trade ministers’ meeting.
According to three administration officials, the summit is scheduled to take place in Gyeongju on October 31 and November 1. The potential meeting is being viewed as a key opportunity for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Serious discussions about a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC are underway, though no final plans have been made.
During a phone call in August, Xi invited Trump and his wife to visit China, and the US president responded with a reciprocal invitation, though dates for the visits have not yet been set.
Details of the visits are still being coordinated. Still, officials said the administration is also viewing them as an opportunity to attract more economic investment to the US - a key priority of Trump’s recent foreign trips, including visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“A visit to South Korea is being discussed, which would focus on economic collaboration,” a White House official told CNN.
He added that during the meeting, the leaders also plan to discuss trade, defense, and civil nuclear cooperation.
Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong Un
White House officials have not ruled out the possibility that, during the APEC summit, Trump could also meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
However, it is currently unclear whether Kim will attend the meeting, so the main focus remains on arranging a potential meeting with Xi Jinping.
According to sources, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol invited Trump to attend the APEC summit during a meeting last week and suggested that the venue could also be used for a meeting with Kim.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he is willing to meet the North Korean leader.
“We will do that. We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better,” Trump said about Kim Jong Un.
On September 2, a military parade took place in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the war of resistance against Japanese invaders and World War II. The parade was attended by three leaders - Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Earlier, Trump did not rule out a visit to China and a meeting with President Xi Jinping to continue negotiations on a new trade agreement.
