The U.S. President Trump gave his nearly two-hour sit-down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping an enthusiastic rating that broke his own scale. Asked to rate the encounter from zero to ten, Trump declared it “a 12.”
President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. Image credit: The White House (YouTube video screenshot)
The meeting in South Korea capped a week of diplomatic activity across the Indo-Pacific. Trump described the session as friendly and productive, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he and Xi “agreed to almost everything.”
Tariffs tumble as fentanyl fight intensifies
The most concrete outcome came in tariff reductions. Chinese exports will now face 47% duties instead of 57%. Trump tied this decrease directly to Xi’s pledge to crack down on fentanyl trafficking into the United States.
“I believe he’s going to work very hard to stop the death that’s coming in,” Trump said.
American farmers gained ground too. China will restart soybean purchases from the U.S., ending a pause that hurt agricultural producers.
Rare earth minerals back in play
China’s recent export limits on rare earth minerals—what Trump called a “roadblock”—got shelved for twelve months. The U.S. reciprocated by easing some of its own export controls.
The White House hasn’t issued a complete readout yet. Trump announced plans to visit China next April, with Xi scheduled to travel to the U.S. afterward.
Beijing issued its own statement. Xi urged both nations to avoid getting “caught in a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation.”
First face-to-face in six years
The leaders met at a South Korean military base near Busan’s airport. Their last in-person encounter happened six years ago. Since Trump’s reelection, they’ve had three phone calls and exchanged multiple letters, Xi noted through an interpreter.
“President Xi is a great leader of a great country, and I think we’re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time,” Trump said, describing Xi as a friend.
Xi acknowledged that friction between the two nations happens naturally but emphasized the need for steady leadership. “China and the U.S. should be partners and friends. This is what history has taught us and what reality demands,” Xi said.
The Chinese leader praised Trump’s involvement in the Middle East ceasefire agreement and said Trump cares deeply about global peace.
Xi also brought up Trump’s Malaysia visit for the ASEAN summit, where a Cambodia-Thailand peace deal got signed. Trump has insisted China played no part in the Middle East ceasefire, but Xi mentioned that “China’s been helping our own way” with the Southeast Asian border dispute.
What didn’t make the agenda
Ukraine’s war with Russia came up, Trump confirmed. China buys Russian oil, but that topic stayed shallow.
Taiwan got no mention, according to Trump. China views the self-governing island as its territory. Recent signals suggest Trump might soften U.S. support there.
TikTok negotiations may have happened, but Trump stayed silent on that front after the meeting.
During his flight home, Trump posted on Truth Social that China agreed to buy American energy. He hinted at oil and gas deals involving Alaska without providing specifics.
“Chris Wright, Doug Burgum, and our respective Energy teams will be meeting to see if such an Energy Deal can be worked out,” Trump wrote, naming his energy and interior secretaries.