Trump to Meet Xi Jinping Next Week in Asia Amid Escalating US-China Trade Tensions
US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during his upcoming visit to Asia, the White House confirmed on Thursday. The long-anticipated meeting comes at a critical juncture in US-China relations , with trade tensions and tariff disputes once again dominating global headlines.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump will depart for Malaysia late Friday night before visiting Japan and South Korea. “On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China, before departing to return home,” Leavitt told Reuters.
This will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since the start of Trump’s second term, and expectations are running high for progress on key issues, including trade and the fentanyl crisis .
Trump’s itinerary includes several key engagements across Asia. His first stop will be Malaysia, where he will meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend a working dinner with ASEAN leaders on Sunday. He will then travel to Tokyo for talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Trump will visit South Korea to meet President Lee Jae Myung and address business leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The trip will conclude with a US-APEC leaders’ dinner, followed by his bilateral meeting with Xi the next morning.
The upcoming talks are seen as crucial, given the recent escalation in trade friction between the two powers. Earlier this month, Beijing expanded export restrictions on rare-earth minerals, a move widely interpreted as retaliation against US tariff policies. While Trump had initially warned of further tariffs, his tone has softened recently. “I think we’re going to come out very well, and everyone’s going to be very happy,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Among the top issues on Trump’s agenda will be the fentanyl crisis, a problem Washington has long accused China of exacerbating. “The first question I’m going to be asking him about is fentanyl,” Trump said, adding, “I’m putting it right at the front of the list.”
US officials allege that Chinese suppliers continue to export precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US. China, however, has consistently denied these claims, calling them politically motivated.
The White House has also cited the fentanyl trade as one of the key reasons behind its decision to raise tariffs on several Chinese imports, underscoring how economic and security concerns remain deeply intertwined in the US-China dynamic.
As Trump and Xi prepare to meet, both sides are expected to project a mix of firmness and flexibility, hoping to strike a balance between domestic priorities and international stability. The world will be watching closely as the two leaders face off once again this time, in a region that has long been central to their rivalry.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump will depart for Malaysia late Friday night before visiting Japan and South Korea. “On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China, before departing to return home,” Leavitt told Reuters.
This will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since the start of Trump’s second term, and expectations are running high for progress on key issues, including trade and the fentanyl crisis .
Trump’s itinerary includes several key engagements across Asia. His first stop will be Malaysia, where he will meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend a working dinner with ASEAN leaders on Sunday. He will then travel to Tokyo for talks with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Trump will visit South Korea to meet President Lee Jae Myung and address business leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The trip will conclude with a US-APEC leaders’ dinner, followed by his bilateral meeting with Xi the next morning.
The upcoming talks are seen as crucial, given the recent escalation in trade friction between the two powers. Earlier this month, Beijing expanded export restrictions on rare-earth minerals, a move widely interpreted as retaliation against US tariff policies. While Trump had initially warned of further tariffs, his tone has softened recently. “I think we’re going to come out very well, and everyone’s going to be very happy,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Among the top issues on Trump’s agenda will be the fentanyl crisis, a problem Washington has long accused China of exacerbating. “The first question I’m going to be asking him about is fentanyl,” Trump said, adding, “I’m putting it right at the front of the list.”
US officials allege that Chinese suppliers continue to export precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US. China, however, has consistently denied these claims, calling them politically motivated.
The White House has also cited the fentanyl trade as one of the key reasons behind its decision to raise tariffs on several Chinese imports, underscoring how economic and security concerns remain deeply intertwined in the US-China dynamic.
As Trump and Xi prepare to meet, both sides are expected to project a mix of firmness and flexibility, hoping to strike a balance between domestic priorities and international stability. The world will be watching closely as the two leaders face off once again this time, in a region that has long been central to their rivalry.
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