President Donald Trump is predicting a “fantastic” result from his talks with President Xi Jinping, even as a row over rare earth minerals escalates their trade war.
“We are gonna be (having) a fantastic meeting,” Trump said in Japan. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday in South Korea, during the APEC summit.
The row began when China imposed tight controls on rare earth exports. The US retaliated with a 100% tariff threat, effective November 1.
The dispute has also seen new US port fees and Chinese countermeasures, ending a recent period of calm.
“That’s a big meeting, and I think it’s going to work out very well,” Trump reiterated, adding it would be “great for everybody.”
This meeting is the main event of Trump’s Asia tour. His trip, which included a stop in Japan to meet PM Sanae Takaichi and speak to US troops, has been focused on projecting America’s economic strength.