US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during his visit to Asia, the White House confirmed on Thursday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will leave for Malaysia late Friday night before heading to South Korea, where the meeting with Xi will take place next Thursday (October 30). The talks – the first between the two leaders in Trump’s second term – are expected to focus on trade, China’s ties with Russia and efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said on Wednesday (October 23) he expected to reach several agreements with Xi, covering issues ranging from soybean purchases and trade tensions to nuclear arms control and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump says “we’ll make a deal” with Xi Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump expressed optimism about the upcoming meeting. “I think we will make a deal,” he said, suggesting that Xi had changed his stance on the Ukraine conflict. “He would like now — I’m not sure he did at the beginning — he now wants that war to end,” Trump added. “It’s a disturbance,” Trump said, adding that tariffs are a more powerful issue in managing trade relations with Beijing. The President, facing increasing pressure from US farmers hurt by falling soy exports, said he expected progress on agricultural trade. “We expect to reach an agreement with Xi on the issue,” Trump noted. He also hinted at possible cooperation on nuclear arms control, citing recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “A deal was also possible on nuclear weapons,” Trump said, suggesting China could join de-escalation talks with the US and Russia. Fragile truce in danger Just a month after Trump praised “progress” in talks with China, Washington and Beijing are now scrambling to save a planned summit between Trump and Xi Jinping. The two powers trade blame for an escalation in tensions, putting a fragile ceasefire at risk. “China believes that negotiations alone are insufficient and that effective countermeasures against the United States are necessary to prevent the US from exerting pressure,” said Wu Xinbo, director of the American Studies Center at Fudan University. Rare earths at the heart of the battle The long-simmering trade war between the US and China erupted anew in early October after Beijing tightened export limits on rare earths – minerals essential to high-tech manufacturing. In response, President Donald Trump announced on October 11 that the United States would impose a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, “on top of any tariff they currently pay,” effective November 1 or earlier. China quickly condemned Washington’s move, saying it “opposes the US imposing unilateral long-arm jurisdictional measures” and warned it would “take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests” if the US continued. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is weighing additional steps to step up pressure on China, including new restrictions on US software exports, Reuters reported, citing US officials and individuals briefed on the discussions. The proposed measures could cover a wide range of products – from laptops to jet engines – and are part of a broader effort to escalate Washington’s response to Beijing’s latest trade actions. US officials head to Asia ahead of Trump-Xi meeting Top administration officials – Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer – left for Malaysia on Wednesday to ease tensions over Beijing’s export borders. “It’s China versus the world. It’s not just in the US,” Bessent told Fox Business Network, describing China’s licensing plan for rare earth exports as “unworkable and unacceptable.” He added that the US and its allies were considering options if Beijing refused to compromise, though he withheld details. “I hope we can get this weekend ironed out so the leaders can start their talks on a more positive note,” he said. Bessent said he remains confident that the preparatory talks will pave the way for productive talks. “The president has great respect for Xi,” Bessent said, “and we are optimistic that two days of full talks will lay the foundation for a good meeting.” Trump’s Asia tour itinerary Trump will attend the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (October 26) before traveling to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit from October 31 to November 1 in Gyeongju. The US president will also visit Japan to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, marking their first face-to-face talks since taking office.
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