Trump to Meet Xi in South Korea Ahead of APEC Summit Amid Trade, Sanctions Tensions

The White House has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on October 30, just a day before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit kicks off in Gyeongju.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that the meeting will take place in the morning before Trump returns to Washington. She did not confirm whether Trump would stay for the APEC sessions themselves.

Trump, for his part, sounded cautiously optimistic.

“We have a pretty long meeting scheduled,” he said Wednesday alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte. “I think something will work out. We have a very good relationship, but that will be a big one.”

The timing is anything but casual. The two leaders will sit down as US-China trade tensions continue to escalate. Trump has already imposed a 30% tariff on Chinese imports and threatened more unless Beijing offers concessions. He also said he intends to press Xi to halt Chinese purchases of Russian oil, a day after Washington sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s two largest oil giants.

The sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, were imposed because Russian President Vladimir Putin “refused to end this senseless war” in Ukraine.

The meeting with Xi is part of a packed Asia tour that underscores Trump’s attempt to reassert US influence in the region. Leavitt outlined a detailed itinerary:

• Friday night: Departure from Washington
• Sunday: Arrival in Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, including a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a leaders’ dinner
• Monday–Tuesday: Visit to Tokyo for talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
• Wednesday (Oct 29): Travel to Busan (later corrected to Gyeongju) for meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a keynote at the APEC CEO luncheon, and a leaders’ dinner

South Korea’s presidential adviser Wi Sung-lac confirmed that Seoul will host three separate summits, between South Korea and the US, the US and China, and South Korea and China — aimed at “building consensus for peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.”