The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet face-to-face on October 30 on the sidelines of the Asian Summit in South Korea. Despite ongoing tensions between the world’s two largest economies, weeks of preparation have paved the way for the highly anticipated meeting — their first since Trump’s return to office.
President Trump has issued a warning that if China fails to lift its export restrictions on rare earth metals, the U.S. will impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods in November. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “We’ll have a long meeting with President Xi — we’ll work to resolve many outstanding issues. Our relationship is good, but this meeting is extremely important.”
During his visit to South Korea, Trump is also scheduled to meet President Lee Jae-myung and attend a leaders’ dinner. As part of the trip, he will participate in the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, where he will hold talks with the leaders of Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. The White House has also confirmed that Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Trump and Xi last met in person in 2019, though they have held at least three phone conversations this year, most recently in September, discussing the future of TikTok’s U.S. operations. Trump believes that direct dialogue with Xi could lead to effective solutions on issues such as trade, tariffs, and fentanyl trafficking.
In May 2025, the U.S. and China reached a temporary trade truce that prevented the full imposition of tariffs. However, when China imposed new restrictions on rare earth exports in October, Trump retaliated by threatening an additional 100% tariff. On social media, he accused China of “holding the global supply chain hostage” and acting with “extreme hostility.”
Analysts suggest that the upcoming Trump–Xi meeting could play a pivotal role in reshaping global trade and geopolitical balance.
Source: BBC.