President Donald Trump is expressing strong confidence in the success of his “big meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for this Thursday in South Korea.
“I think it’s going to work out very well, actually,” Trump said from Tokyo, ahead of the talks which will be held during the APEC summit.
This confidence is notable given the new trade flare-up. The US has threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods in response to Beijing’s new export controls on rare earth minerals.
The tit-for-tat escalation, which also includes US port fees and Chinese countermeasures, has ended a recent period of calm.
“We are gonna be (having) a fantastic meeting,” Trump insisted, adding that both he and Xi have “a lot to talk about.”