Trump may meet Xi Jinping during October South Korea visit for APEC summit

US President Donald Trump is preparing to visit South Korea in late October for the APEC summit, where a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is under discussion. Talks may also cover trade, defence and regional diplomacy with North Korea.

Washington: US President Donald Trump and his top advisers are silently preparing to travel to South Korea in October for the gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers where he will may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, CNN reported quoting Trump administration officials.

The US administration officials said on Saturday that there have been serious discussions about a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC, but no firm plans are in place.

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The summit, set to be held in the city of Gyeongju between late October and early November, is viewed as a key opportunity for Trump to meet President Xi.

In a phone call last month, Xi invited Trump and his wife to visit China, an invitation the US President reciprocated, though no dates have been set.

Details are still being finalised and it’s unclear whether the US President may add other stops on the trip.

The officials said the Trump administration is also viewing it as an opportunity for the President to clinch more economic investments in the US — something that has been a key focus of his recent trips abroad, including during his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“A visit to South Korea is being discussed, which would focus on economic collaboration,” a White House official told CNN.

Other goals include a focus on discussions around trade, defence and civil nuclear cooperation, the official said.

Trump’s presence in the region could also put him in a position to sit down once again with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, though whether Kim attends is still a question.

Officials say more attention is being placed on organising a potential meeting with Xi.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung invited Trump to attend the APEC summit while meeting with him last week and suggested the setting could provide Trump with an opportunity to meet with Kim, sources familiar with the talks said.

While addressing reporters earlier on Saturday, Trump told Lee he was willing to meet with Kim.

“I will do that, and we’ll have talks. He’d like to meet with me,” Trump claimed of the North Korean leader. “We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better.”

The US President’s expected trip to South Korea comes at a tenuous time in his relationship with both Xi and Kim.

Xi hosted Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Beijing this week — a gathering Trump was quick to criticise repeatedly despite his frequent proclamations that he has strong personal ties with each of the leaders. The meeting was in conjunction with China’s military parade — a significant show of its arms capabilities.