US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as incredible, praising the Chinese leader and his leadership.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump called the meeting a great success and "rated it a 12 out of 10," noting that they reached agreement on a number of important points.
Key deals: Fentanyl, rare metals and soy
Trump announced that the United States and China have reached several key agreements. The decision to immediately reduce the US tariffs on Chinese goods that were imposed due to the flow of chemicals needed to produce fentanyl is effective. It was also confirmed that China, as previously announced, will begin buying large quantities of soybeans, which Trump particularly praised.
The key issue of rare earth metals trade, which had been a major point of contention between the two countries, was also resolved. “The rare earth issue is resolved, and it’s for the whole world… This wasn’t just a situation in the United States,” Trump said, adding: “There’s no more Chinese blockade.” Details of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Every country - Japan, South Korea and many others that we met with there - is investing enormous amounts of money in the United States, money that we have never seen before," Trump said, emphasizing that this is a historic success, reports Index.
When asked about additional Chinese investments, he said that Chinese representatives congratulated him on his achievements. "There has never been a country that has received so much money for investments, construction, car plants, artificial intelligence and more," he said, adding that there was no mention of specific new Chinese investments.
Ukraine and future encounters
Trump and Xi agreed to work together to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. “Ukraine — we’re both going to work together. We agree that the sides are locked in a fight and sometimes, I guess, you have to let them fight. But we’re going to work together on Ukraine,” Trump said.
New high-level meetings have also been announced. Trump has confirmed that he will visit China in April next year, while President Xi's arrival in the US is expected to be somewhat later - possibly in Washington or Palm Beach, Florida.
North Korea and nuclear weapons
There was no time on this trip to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un because he was "too busy," Trump said, but added that he "might come back."
"I had a great relationship with Kim Jong-un. If I hadn't been elected... he doesn't like too many people except me. I think you would have a war," he told reporters.
North Korea fired surface-to-air cruise missiles just hours before Trump's landing in South Korea yesterday, Index reminds.
Trump confirmed that Taiwan, a self-governing island that had been mentioned as a potential stumbling block before the meeting, was "never mentioned" in the talks.
He added that now was the "right time" for the US to resume nuclear testing because other major countries had begun doing so. "It had to do with others," he said, noting that the US has the largest nuclear arsenal.
Asked about the potential danger of nuclear threats, he said: “No, I don’t think so. I think we have that pretty well under control.” But, he added: “I see them testing. I say, well, if they’re going to test, I guess we have to too.”
Trump stressed that he would like to see global denuclearization and that this is already being discussed with Russia, with the hope that China could also join such an agreement.
Canada and technology
Speaking on other topics, Trump revealed that he had a very pleasant conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last night. It was their first contact since Trump canceled trade talks last week over an anti-tariff ad that aired in Canada.
There was also talk of technology — Trump said Beijing would talk to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, with U.S. authorities serving as “some kind of referee.” He confirmed that the talks would not include the Blackwell chip, Nvidia’s most advanced AI chip. “But that’s a lot of chips, and that’s good for us,” he concluded.
The conversation with reporters on the plane was relaxed, despite the turbulence. "This is a rough flight... the interviews are tough enough without being life-threatening," Trump joked when asked about tariffs on Chinese goods.
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