President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in South Korea on Thursday, as the trade war between the two giants flares up after a period of calm.
The flare-up includes a US threat of 100% tariffs (from November 1) and new US port fees. This was in retaliation for China imposing tight export controls on rare earths.
Despite the renewed conflict, President Trump, speaking from Japan, projected success. “That’s a big meeting, and I think it’s going to work out very well,” he said.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a key event in Trump’s Asia trip.
Trump added that the meeting would be “fantastic” and “great for everybody,” signaling he is seeking a de-escalation of the damaging dispute.