China has announced that President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on Thursday on the margins of the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea, where they will engage in “in-depth communication on strategic and long-term issues” concerning the bilateral relationship.
According to a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, “During this meeting, the two leaders will have in depth communication on strategic and long-term issues concerning China-U.S. relations, as well as major issues of mutual concern.” He added that China is “willing to work together with the U.S. side to ensure that this meeting yields positive outcomes, provides new guidance, and injects new momentum into the stable development of China-U.S. relations.”
President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One en route to South Korea, said he expected the meeting to address a number of outstanding problems: “I think we’re going to have a great meeting … and a lot of problems are going to be solved.”
The forthcoming meeting, their first face-to-face since Mr Trump’s return to office, comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries over trade, technology, and rare-earth exports. Analysts note that Washington and Beijing are hoping for a reset in relations.
