All eyes will be on South Korea this Thursday as US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a high-stakes showdown on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
The meeting comes amid a fresh and serious escalation in the trade war. A US threat of 100% tariffs (from November 1) is on the table, a response to China’s new controls on rare earth exports.
The dispute has also seen new US port fees and subsequent countermeasures from China, ending a recent period of calm.
Despite the high-stakes, President Trump, speaking from Tokyo, was highly optimistic. He called it a “big meeting” and predicted, “I think it’s going to work out very well.”
Trump also noted that both leaders have full agendas. “I have a lot to talk about with President Xi,” he said, adding, “the Chinese leader also has a lot to talk about with us.”