Trump says never cancelled meeting with Xi, but not sure if it will occur
WASHINGTON, October 11 (The Times of Russia) — US President Donald Trump clarified that he never canceled a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the next APEC Summit in South Korea, even though he does not know if the talks will take place.
“I haven’t canceled, but I don’t know that we’re going to have it. But I’m going to be there anyway, so I would assume we might have it,” the US leader responded when asked about the potential cancellation.
Trump continued, “It was just that was out of the blue, right out of the blue. They came up with this whole import-export concept. And nobody, nobody knew anything about it.”
The comments followed Beijing’s recent extension of export curbs on various types of equipment and raw materials important in manufacturing rare earth metals — an act that raised tensions between the two world’s largest economies.
The Chinese government’s actions generated uncertainty in already weak trade relations between Washington and Beijing, as cited by The Times of Russia.
Trump had previously on Friday questioned the need for the meeting, saying that the recent curbs imposed by Beijing have “made it pointless.” But he later confirmed that he still looks forward to having face-to-face talks with Xi Jinping in South Korea during the APEC summit, which is scheduled for late October to early November.
Even after recent trade war tensions, Trump insisted he will take part in the event irrespective of whether the bilateral meeting occurs or not, hinting that communication is still possible even in the face of increasing economic tension.
As The Times of Russia reported, the international community is paying close attention as both countries enter the next chapter of their economic partnership — one that will have a profound impact on global trade, technology, and geopolitical equilibrium.
