Busan (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – US President Donald Trump has praised his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “amazing” and expressed that the two presidents “agreed to almost everything” at their meeting in South Korea.
Trump and President Xi Jinping concluded their important talks on trade in Busan, South Korea. The two leaders shook hands prior to departing the air base together at Gimhae International Airport.
How did Trump describe his meeting with President Xi?
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said that the high-stakes discussions between the two world’s largest economies were productive regarding trade, rare earths, and fentanyl flowing into the U.S., CNN reported.
He also said he will visit China in April, without providing further details. He said Xi would also visit the US shortly after that. Asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One how soon he thinks an agreement may come, Trump replied:
“I think pretty soon, we have not too many major stumbling blocks.”
“We have a deal. Now, every year we’ll renegotiate the deal, but I think the deal will go on for a long time.”
“It’s a one-year agreement, and we’ll extend it after a year,”
he also said.
What tariff changes did Trump announce after the meeting?
Trump announced that the United States has reduced the overall tariff rate on Chinese products from 57% to 47%, after having made progress with China on soybean imports, rare earths, and fentanyl. Trump said that the reduction would go into effect immediately.
“We reduced it … We’ve already seen the action on fentanyl, and they’re taking very strong action. So reduced to 10%,”
Trump said.
What did Xi say about long-term cooperation with the US?
As reported by Chinese state media, Xi said the
“economic and trade teams of China and the United States held in-depth talks and reached consensus on solutions to problems”.
It said Xi also
“called on both sides to focus on long-term benefits brought by cooperation rather than falling into a vicious cycle of retaliation”.
He urged
“the economic and trade teams of both sides to constantly narrow down the list of problems, and extend the list of cooperation based on the principles of equality, respect and mutual benefit”.
“Both teams can continue talks in the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity — narrowing the list of disputes while expanding the list of cooperation,”
he said.
