US President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping met in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday, holding their first face-to-face talks in six years as both sides sought to ease a trade war that has shaken global markets. The meeting, taking place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in nearby Gyeongju, aimed to stabilise relations between the world’s two largest economies after months of tariff disputes and supply chain disruptions.Greeting Xi on the red carpet, Trump said, “Good to see you again,” adding that the Chinese leader was “a very tough negotiator.” Predicting a “fantastic relationship for a long period of time,” he added, “We’ll have a great understanding.” Xi, speaking through a translator, responded that while China and the United States “do not always see eye to eye, this is normal,” stressing that both countries “should be partners and friends.” He continued: “China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world.”
Xi, speaking through a translator, struck a conciliatory tone, saying that while the US and China “do not always see eye to eye, this is normal”, adding that it was “normal for economies to have frictions”. He emphasised that the two nations “should be partners and friends” and that China’s development “goes hand in hand with the vision to make America great again”.Minutes before the talks, Trump made headlines by announcing on Truth Social that he had ordered the Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with China and Russia, declaring that Beijing was a “distant third” in nuclear capability but “will be even in five years.” The unexpected statement raised the stakes for the Busan meeting, which Trump nonetheless described as the “G2,” reflecting both nations’ global standing.Flanking Trump were senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury chief Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Xi’s delegation included Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Vice Premier He Lifeng.The discussions followed weeks of preparatory negotiations and are expected to produce a preliminary trade framework. Trump indicated that the agreement could see the United States lower 20 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods related to fentanyl in exchange for stronger Chinese cooperation on the drug, which has devastated American communities. Washington also hopes Beijing will resume large-scale purchases of US soybeans and delay recently announced export controls on rare earths—materials vital to high-tech manufacturing.Erly concessions may include reducing port fees and fentanyl-related tariffs, while China could boost imports of American commodities to signal goodwill. For Trump, success in Busan would mark a major diplomatic achievement on his Asia tour, which has included meetings with regional leaders and enthusiastic receptions in Tokyo and Seoul.
