‘Great Relationship’: Trump, Xi Hold First In-Person Meeting After 6 Years
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for their first face-to-face talks in several years on Thursday in Busan, South Korea, striking a publicly optimistic tone as they sought to de-escalate a looming trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The high-stakes meeting took place at a South Korean air base on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
As the talks began, Trump greeted his Chinese counterpart warmly, expressing confidence in a positive outcome. “We have a great relationship. Xi is a tough negotiator. We will be having some discussions, and we agree on a lot of things and will agree on more now. It’s an honour to have you,” Trump said, shaking Xi’s hand. President Xi reciprocated the warm sentiment, stating, “It feels warm seeing you again, because it’s been many years”. He added that despite not always seeing “eye to eye,” the two leaders had stayed in close contact and emphasized that China and the US should be “partners and friends”.
The meeting carries immense global significance, coming after a dramatic escalation in trade tensions earlier this month. The dispute flared up after Beijing proposed expanding curbs on its exports of rare-earth minerals, a sector it dominates and which is vital for high-tech manufacturing. In response, Trump had threatened to retaliate with crippling 100 per cent tariffs on all Chinese exports and other measures that could have severely disrupted the global economy.
The discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover a wide range of strategic and economic issues beyond the immediate trade spat, including regional stability. Investors and world leaders are closely watching the outcome of the talks, hoping for a truce that can bring stability back to global markets. This encounter marks the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump’s return to the presidency.
