Trump to meet Xi in South Korea amid tensions over trade, North Korea
<h3><strong>Trump heads to Asia for high-stakes talks with Xi — North Korea, trade in focus</strong></h3><p>Washington: US President <strong>Donald Trump</strong> is embarking on a major diplomatic tour across <strong>Asia</strong>, culminating in a crucial meeting with <strong>Chinese President Xi Jinping</strong> on <strong>October 30</strong> in <strong>South Korea</strong>, the White House confirmed on Thursday. The meeting, taking place on the sidelines of the <strong>Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)</strong> summit, could shape the next chapter of US-China relations and the broader regional balance.</p><p>The White House press secretary <strong>Karoline Leavitt</strong> said, “On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China.” The two leaders will meet in <strong>Busan</strong>, a day before the official start of the APEC summit, scheduled from <strong>October 31 to November 1</strong>.</p><h3><strong>Asia tour with global implications</strong></h3><p>Trump’s trip will begin in <strong>Malaysia</strong>, followed by stops in <strong>Japan</strong> and <strong>South Korea</strong>. It marks his <strong>first official visit to Asia since returning to the White House</strong>, and his team describes it as a “strategic mission” to strengthen economic and security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.</p><p>The visit comes amid <strong>renewed trade tensions</strong> between Washington and Beijing, <strong>North Korea’s missile provocations</strong>, and the ongoing <strong>Ukraine war</strong>, all of which have placed the region at the center of global geopolitics.</p><p>Trump has publicly oscillated between confrontation and diplomacy toward Beijing — threatening to cancel the Xi meeting at one point, before confirming it and declaring he hopes for a “<strong>deal on everything</strong>.”</p><h3><strong>Malaysia and Japan stops</strong></h3><p>Trump departs Washington on <strong>Friday</strong>, arriving in <strong>Malaysia</strong> on <strong>Sunday</strong> for the <strong>ASEAN summit</strong> — a forum he skipped multiple times in his first term. The US president is expected to oversee the signing of a <strong>peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia</strong>, a diplomatic move analysts say could bolster his legacy ambitions, including his long-expressed hope for a <strong>Nobel Peace Prize</strong>.</p><p>Malaysian Prime Minister <strong>Anwar Ibrahim</strong> confirmed that Trump will also ink a <strong>bilateral trade deal</strong> during his visit. Reports suggest he may meet <strong>Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva</strong> on the sidelines to mend strained ties.</p><p>Trump will then fly to <strong>Tokyo</strong>, where he will meet Japan’s new Prime Minister <strong>Sanae Takaichi</strong> — the country’s <strong>first female leader</strong> — on <strong>Tuesday</strong>. Japan, which largely escaped the heaviest US tariffs during Trump’s trade crackdowns, is expected to discuss <strong>security cooperation</strong> and <strong>semiconductor supply chains</strong>.</p><h3><strong>South Korea: the climax of the trip</strong></h3><p>Trump’s final stop, <strong>South Korea</strong>, promises to be the most consequential. Landing in <strong>Busan</strong> on <strong>Wednesday</strong>, he will meet <strong>President Lee Jae Myung</strong>, address business leaders at an <strong>APEC luncheon</strong>, and host a dinner with <strong>US tech executives</strong> in <strong>Gyeongju</strong>.</p><p>The highly anticipated <strong>Trump–Xi summit</strong> on <strong>October 30</strong> will mark their <strong>first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to office</strong>, following months of escalating tariff battles and diplomatic friction.</p><p>Global markets are watching closely to see whether the two leaders can <strong>ease trade tensions</strong> and revive <strong>economic cooperation</strong>, especially amid Beijing’s <strong>rare earth export curbs</strong> — a major flashpoint in global supply chains.</p><p>Trump also indicated he hopes Xi could play a “<strong>big influence</strong>” in persuading Russian President <strong>Vladimir Putin</strong> to end the <strong>Ukraine conflict</strong>, though few expect significant breakthroughs.</p><h3><strong>North Korea back in focus</strong></h3><p>Amid the diplomatic fanfare, <strong>North Korea</strong> looms large. The regime fired <strong>multiple ballistic missiles</strong> just days before Trump’s arrival, raising concerns of renewed instability on the peninsula.</p><p>South Korean officials confirmed that tours in parts of the <strong>Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)</strong> have been suspended — fueling speculation of a possible <strong>Trump–Kim Jong Un</strong> encounter, though the White House has not confirmed any plans.</p><p>During his first term, Trump made history by meeting Kim at the DMZ in 2019 — the first sitting US president to do so. He has since said he would “welcome another meeting” if it could advance peace talks.</p><h3><strong>Analysts temper expectations</strong></h3><p>Experts caution that the Trump–Xi meeting is unlikely to produce major policy shifts. “This meeting will be a data point along an existing continuum rather than an inflection point,” said <strong>Ryan Hass</strong>, senior fellow at the <strong>Brookings Institution</strong>.</p><p>Still, the symbolism of two of the world’s most powerful leaders meeting in South Korea — with trade, technology, and nuclear tensions at stake — underscores how the <strong>Indo-Pacific region</strong> remains the focal point of 21st-century geopolitics.</p><p>South Korea, eager to strengthen ties with Washington, is reportedly considering awarding Trump the <strong>Grand Order of Mugunghwa</strong>, its <strong>highest national honor</strong>, during his visit.</p><p>As Trump embarks on this high-stakes tour, his administration faces the delicate task of balancing <strong>assertive diplomacy</strong> with <strong>strategic restraint</strong> — a hallmark of his unpredictable foreign policy style.</p>