US President Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed confidence that his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping “is going to work out very well,” despite a new flare-up in the trade war.
The “big meeting,” as Trump termed it, is scheduled for Thursday. It will take place in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a key stop on Trump’s current tour of Asia.
Speaking from Tokyo, Trump’s optimism comes at a time of high friction. The US recently threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, set to begin November 1, after Beijing imposed tight controls on its rare earth exports.
This tit-for-tat escalation, which also includes new US port fees on Chinese vessels and subsequent countermeasures from Beijing, has abruptly ended a recent period of relative calm.
“We are gonna be (having) a fantastic meeting,” Trump said, reiterating his positive outlook. He added that the talks would be “great for everybody” and that both sides have significant issues to discuss.