Washington (Web Desk):
US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during his Asia tour, the White House has confirmed. Earlier, the meeting had been uncertain amid concerns over rising tensions in trade relations between the two countries.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump will depart for Malaysia late tonight, with stops planned in Japan and South Korea. During the trip, he will address the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and meet with Xi Jinping.
On Sunday, President Trump will meet Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and attend a dinner hosted by Southeast Asian leaders. He will then travel to Japan on Monday and meet Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Trump will visit South Korea to meet President Lee Jae-myung, followed by participation in a CEO luncheon and a dinner for APEC leaders.
The US-China trade war has been ongoing for several months and escalated in October when Beijing imposed restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, intensifying tensions between the two economic powers.