Bessent says Trump, Xi will have ‘pull-aside’ meeting in Korea, expects breakthrough in trade talks

This file photo, released by Reuters, shows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attending a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Sept. 23.
This file photo, released by Reuters, shows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attending a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Sept. 23.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a “pull-aside” meeting in South Korea late this month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday, anticipating a “pretty big breakthrough” in his parallel trade talks with his Chinese counterpart.

Bessent made the remarks during a CNBC interview, a day after Trump also reaffirmed he will meet the Chinese president “in four weeks,” as South Korea is preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

“The most important thing we are going to see is a meeting, a pull-aside meeting with President Trump and party chair Xi in Korea towards the end of the month,” Bessent said.

The secretary underscored the importance of the two leaders’ in-person engagement.

“What gives us great comfort is the respect that the two leaders have for each other. So it will be helpful for them to be able to speak in person and set the framework for trade going forward,” he said.

Bessent expressed optimism for his own parallel trade talks with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng.

“I think with President Trump’s leadership and his relationship, the respect party chair Xi has for him, that this round, which would be our fifth round of talks, should show a pretty big breakthrough,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that a major topic of his discussions with Xi will be soybeans.

China has reportedly stopped buying US soybeans over the past several months, while turning to soybean producers in Brazil and other countries. (Yonhap)

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

How Chicago is resisting Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown – video | Chicago

In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk killing, the Guardian’s Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone head to Chicago, where Donald Trump’s Ice deployment, codename Operation Midway Blitz, has been met by a defiant wave of sustained protests. With political violence on the rise, they speak to a new generation of political candidates and organisers, including

When Bill Gates Questioned Lyft CEO Risher’s Move To Jeff Bezos’ ‘Tiny, Little Internet Bookstore’—’Stupidest Decision’ Ever – Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

David Risher, the current CEO of Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT), recently shared a bold career move he made in 1996 that earned him a scathing rebuke from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates. Gates Questions Risher’s Unconventional Move To Amazon In a recent episode of Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast, Risher recounted a conversation with Gates in 1996. At that time, Risher

Donald Trump’s approval rating hits record low for second term

President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has hit a record low for his second term, according to a polling tracker. The Vote Hub polling tracker showed that on September 30, Trump’s net approval rating hit -10 points, with 43 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving. It has since bounced back slightly as the government shutdown has

Explained: Why Elon Musk wants you to cancel Netflix subscription

Elon Musk on Wednesday made repeated calls on X, urging people to cancel their Netflix subscriptions. His posts came after he cancelled his own subscription to the streaming platform while taking a dig at it. In one post, the world’s richest person wrote, “Cancel Netflix”. (Image: AFP/Unsplash) In one post, the Tesla CEO wrote, “Cancel

BAE, Saab and Rheinmetall welcome Europe’s drone wall plans

Police patrol near Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 30, 2025, following recent drone disturbances over Denmark and ahead of meetings of EU heads of state and goverment in Copenhagen on October 1 and October 2. Liselotte Sabroe | Afp | Getty Images Defense giants welcomed Europe’s push to establish a drone wall on the

Trump vows to protect soyabean farmers amid tariff war with China

After imposing new trade tariffs on China in September, the United States President Donald Trump has confirmed he will be meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in “four weeks” to sort out the loses being faced by soyabean farmers in the US as China has refused to buy it from them. Trump said that the