US President Donald Trump announced on Monday his intention to make an official visit to China early next year to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, following anticipated talks between the two leaders at the end of this month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Trump explained, in a statement to the press after receiving Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, that he had received an official invitation from Beijing, adding: "I received an invitation to go to China, and I will do so early next year. This matter has been agreed upon." The US President confirmed in an interview broadcast by Fox News on Sunday that he intends to meet his Chinese counterpart within the next two weeks, on the sidelines of the APEC summit scheduled to take place in Korea, which will begin on October 29 and last until November 1. This visit comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing, particularly regarding tariffs and the exploitation of rare minerals, where the two sides previously reached a fragile trade truce. However, Trump recently threatened to impose additional tariffs of 100 percent on Chinese products in response to China's tightening of restrictions on rare mineral exports. These developments also coincide with the United States and South Korea nearing the conclusion of a new trade agreement, after US Treasury Secretary Scott Pissant announced that Washington is "on the verge of completing" negotiations with Seoul, reflecting a rapidly accelerating dynamic in US trade policy in the Asian region.
