Optimism from Trump as “Big Meeting” with Xi Approaches

President Donald Trump is striking a highly optimistic tone as his “big meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping approaches. “I think it’s going to work out very well,” he said Tuesday from Tokyo.
The two leaders are set to meet on Thursday in South Korea, during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This meeting is a central focus of Trump’s current Asia tour.
The positive rhetoric comes despite a tense backdrop. The US-China trade war has flared up again, with the US threatening 100% tariffs from November 1 in response to China’s new controls on rare earth exports.
This recent exchange of threats and countermeasures, including new US port fees, has ended a brief period of truce.
Trump, however, insisted the meeting would be “fantastic” and “great for everybody.” He also acknowledged the significant issues at stake, saying both leaders “have a lot to talk about.”