October 29, 2025 : United States President Donald Trump landed in South Korea on Wednesday where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in an attempt to thaw ties, particularly amid the recent trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
This would be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi during the former’s second term.
Meanwhile, South Korea will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Gyeongju. The meetings, which will continue till Saturday, come amid growing trade tensions due to Trump’s global tariffs.
Here are top updates on APEC summit and what to expect-
- While US President Donald Trump is visiting South Korea for two days starting Wednesday, he will leave ahead of the APEC leaders’ summit itself, reported news agency Reuters.
- South Korea would be Donald Trump’s third stop on his first Asia tour during his second term. Before this, we went to Malaysia and Japan where he presided over the signing of a peace deal between Cambodia and Thailand and met the newly elected Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi.
- Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet in South Korea’s Gyeongju city on Thursday for the first time in six years, with all eyes across the world focussing on the key meeting that could determine whether the ongoing trade war between the two countries could take a softer turn.
- While leaving for South Korea on Wednesday, Trump expressed optimism and said that he expects a “lot of problems” will be solved in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart.
- “I think we’re going to have a great meeting with President Xi of China, and a lot of problems are going to be solved,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, reported news agency AFP.
- The US President also said that he is not sure that he would discuss Taiwan during his meeting with Xi Jinping. “I don’t know that we’ll even speak about Taiwan. I’m not sure. He may want to ask about it. There’s not that much to ask about. Taiwan is Taiwan,” Trump said.
- Donald Trump is expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday and will also address a summit of CEOs there. During this meeting, the US and South Korea and expected to emphasize upon and resolve their trade ties.
- Founded in 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) brings together 21 member economies that account for over half of global GDP and are home to around 2.7 billion people, which is roughly 40% of the world’s population. Among its largest members are the United States, China, and Russia.
- The leaders of the 21 economies meet annually for the APEC summit. This year, host South Korea has said that it plans the summit to focus on supply chains and advancing the proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, an agreement in which all APEC members will eventually be included.
Summary:
Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in South Korea on the sidelines of the APEC summit to discuss trade, security, and regional cooperation amid rising global tensions.