China Confirms Xi and Trump Will Meet in South Korea on Thursday

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that dictator Xi Jinping will meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in South Korea on Thursday.

“The two heads of state will have in-depth communications on strategic and long-term issues,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.

“We are willing to make joint efforts with the United States to promote the positive results of this meeting and provide new guidance and impetus for the stable development of China-U.S. relations,” Guo said.

Referring to Trump’s comments that fentanyl would be one of the topics he discussed with Xi, Guo insisted that China “has the strongest determination” and “one of the best track records in the world” against drug trafficking.

“China expresses sympathy for the fentanyl crisis in America. China provided assistance in this regard which achieved positive results, and remains open to continuing the cooperation with the U.S. The U.S. needs to take concrete actions to create necessary conditions for the cooperation,” he said.

Guo was more elusive about whether Xi would meet with Japan’s new Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, who will also visit South Korea for the APEC forum. Japanese media reports Takaichi is seeking a meeting with Xi during her trip, after she meets with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on arrival.

Guo also declined to comment on a report on Wednesday that China made its first purchase of U.S. soybeans in several months. 

China, usually the biggest customer for American soybeans, largely halted its purchases in May as the trade dispute heated up. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that a resumption of “substantial” soybean purchases would be a sign that Beijing and Washington have come close to finalizing a trade agreement.

Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in Busan, a South Korean city about 85 miles from where the APEC summit is being hosted in Gyeongju. Neither Washington nor Beijing has made a public statement about why a different city was chosen for the bilateral summit, but it might have been done for security reasons, as Geyongju is a relatively small city that is currently overwhelmed with visitors for the APEC forum.