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![\"Helen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Helen_Davidson.png\")
Helen Davidson<\/p>\n
Trump and Xi are meeting in a tiny building on the Gimhae air base, in the coastal South Korean city of Busan.<\/p>\n
The airport is a joint commercial and military facility, and security has been visibly ramped up around it in recent days, ahead of the arrival of Apec dignitaries.<\/p>\n
Local media has reported high-level activity, including practice runs by police motorcades between the airport and hotels. While also a secure site, the airport seems to have been picked as the best way to fit into both leaders\u2019 schedules.<\/p>\n
Xi has just arrived for Apec, while Trump is about to fly out.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.32 EDT<\/p>\n As the Trump-Xi meeting gets under way, here are some other images from the morning so far:<\/p>\n Xi Jinping, accompanied by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, arrives at Gimhae airport Photograph: YONHAP\/EPADonald Trump and Xi Jinping pose for photo before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein\/APTrump and Xi shake hands Photograph: Andrew Harnik\/Getty ImagesDonald Trump boards his vehicle as Xi Jinping\u2019s state aircraft is seen in the background Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.31 EDT<\/p>\n Here are some images of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping\u2019s initial meeting just then before their talks began.<\/p>\n Trump and Xi in Busan. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein\/APTrump and Xi. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP\/Getty ImagesThe Chinese and US sides at the negotiating table. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.28 EDT<\/p>\n Xi says China and the US should be ‘partners and friends’<\/p>\n At the table for the talks Trump said that \u201cXi is a great leader of a great country, it is an honour to have you with us\u201d.<\/p>\n Xi Jinping said it was a great pleasure to see Trump, adding:<\/p>\n Given our different national conditions we do not always see eye to eye and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have friction now and again.<\/p>\n You and I should stay the right course.<\/p>\n I always believe China\u2019s development goes hand in hand with your vision to make America great again.<\/p>\n China and the US should be partners and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping hold talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.23 EDT<\/p>\n Trump said at the table in Busan after sitting down for the talks with Xi that \u201cwe\u2019ve already agreed to a lot of things\u201d.<\/p>\n He praised the Chinese president and said: \u201cI think we\u2019re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Xi said through an interpreter that it \u201cfeels very warm to see you again as it\u2019s been many years\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.20 EDT<\/p>\n Live vision is showing Trump and Xi at a large table for the talks, with their entourages beside them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump and Xi shake hands<\/p>\n Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have greeted each other and shaken hands.<\/p>\n Trump said Xi was a \u201cvery tough negotiator and that\u2019s not good\u201d.<\/p>\n In the comment to reporters in Busan before the meeting got under way, the US president also said: \u201cWe have a great relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he planned to sign a trade deal, Trump said: \u201cCould be.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chinese president didn\u2019t make any comments.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.16 EDT<\/p>\n Live vision from Busan is showing Donald Trump and Xi Jinping shaking hands on a red carpet in front of US and China flags.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.09 EDT<\/p>\n Trump-Xi meeting begins \u2013 reports<\/p>\n Xi Jinping is now meeting Donald Trump in Busan, Reuters has cited Chinese state media as saying.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll bring you confirmation as soon as we get it.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier<\/a>, it\u2019s the two leaders\u2019 first meeting since 2019 and it comes amid hopes that they can hammer out a trade deal that will bring a truce in the blistering trade war between the world\u2019s two largest economies.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.07 EDT<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the Trump-Xi meeting, American officials signalled that the US president did not intend to make good on a recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods.<\/p>\n Also that China<\/a> had shown signs it is willing to relax its export controls on rare earths as well as revive buying soybeans from the US.<\/p>\n Trump went further aboard Air Force One on his way to South Korea<\/a>, telling reporters he may reduce tariffs that he placed on China earlier this year related to its role in making fentanyl, the Associated Press reports.<\/p>\n \u201cI expect to be lowering that because I believe that they\u2019re going to help us with the fentanyl situation,\u201d Trump said, later adding:<\/p>\n The relationship with China is very good.<\/p>\n At a dinner on Wednesday night with other Apec leaders, Trump was caught on a microphone saying the meeting with Xi would be \u201cthree, four hours\u201d and he would then go home to Washington.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump orders immediate US nuclear testing<\/p>\n Donald Trump says he has told the US defence department to immediately begin nuclear testing on a par with Russia and China\u2019s testing.<\/p>\n The US president posted on his Truth Social platform<\/a> a short while ago in the lead-up to today\u2019s talks with Xi Jinping that the US \u201chas more nuclear weapons than any other country\u201d and claimed he accomplished that during his first term, also saying:<\/p>\n Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s post also said:<\/p>\n Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s our full report:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.00 EDT<\/p>\n Pictures have dropped of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping\u2019s plane arriving in Busan ahead of their talks.<\/p>\n Donald Trump alights from Marine One after landing at Gimhae international airport in Busan. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP\/Getty ImagesAn Air China flight with Xi Jinping on board lands at Gimhae airport. Photograph: Kim Soo-hyeon\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.52 EDT<\/p>\n Analysis: pressure is building on both leaders Our reporter in Busan, Justin McCurry, has sent this analysis ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting:<\/p>\n Donald Trump has racked up several wins during his tour of Asia: including a deal with Japan to secure the mining and processing of rare earths and the conclusion of a trade agreement with South Korea that commits Seoul to significant investments in the US economy.<\/p>\n But it is the outcome of his imminent meeting with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, that will determine whether his weeklong visit to the region has been a success.<\/p>\n Given the high stakes, pressure is building on both leaders to abandon the aggressive rhetoric of recent months and reach a deal that will benefit their interdependent economies and avoid unleashing chaos on the global economy.<\/p>\n The mood music in Busan \u2013 the venue for their talks on the sidelines of the Apec leaders\u2019 summit that opens in nearby Gyeongju on Friday\u2013 was as bright as the sky in the South Korean port city on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n Trump has voiced optimism that a deal can be brokered that would ease Chinese restrictions on exports of rare-earth minerals vital to the US economy and see Beijing buy soybeans to help struggling US farmers. In return, Trump would drop threats to impose a 100% additional tariff on Chinese goods.<\/p>\n Beijing, meanwhile, is willing to work together for \u201cpositive results\u201d, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.<\/p>\n Trump also said this week that he expects to reduce US tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for a commitment by Beijing to curb the flow of precursor chemicals to make fentanyl, an opioid that has caused an epidemic of overdose deaths among Americans.<\/p>\n There are no guarantees, of course, that any trade agreement Trump and Xi reach today will hold for the duration, as their countries compete for economic and geopolitical dominance in what some analysts are calling a new cold war.<\/p>\n As Marine One touched down at Busan\u2019s Gimhae international airport, few countries were following the progress of the Trump-Xi talks as keenly as Taiwan, a democratic, self-governing island that Beijing has vowed to \u201creunify\u201d with the Chinese mainland.<\/p>\n Concern is growing in Taiwan that Trump could offer concessions over the island \u2013 which the US is compelled to provide with the means to defend itself \u2013 despite indications from Trump that he had no plans to raise Taiwan with Xi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Xi Jinping has arrived in Busan, South Korea, ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump, according to Chinese state media.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.02 EDT<\/p>\n What are rare earths and critical minerals?<\/p>\n Rare earths are at the centre of several deals cut by Trump on his Asia tour. But what are they?<\/p>\n Critical minerals are vital for the global economy and include nickel, manganese and cobalt. Rare earths are a specific, highly useful category of critical minerals that are used to make magnets essential for the auto, electronic and defence industries, as well as in renewable energy.<\/p>\n Securing reserves and production of rare earths has become a flashpoint in global diplomacy and trade.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here are some of the latest images coming in from Busan amid the countdown to Donald Trump\u2019s meeting with Xi Jinping<\/p>\n Marine One, with Donald Trump onboard, approaches Gimhae airport in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday. Photograph: Kim Soo-hyeon\/ReutersPolice near the airport in Busan. Photograph: Tyrone Siu\/ReutersPolice stop an anti-China protester near Gimhae airport. Photograph: Tyrone Siu\/ReutersPro-China supporters hold China and South Korea flags near Gimhae airport in Busan, a port city about 76km south of the Apec summit\u2019s main venue of Gyeongju. Photograph: Tyrone Siu\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.25 EDT<\/p>\n What is in the \u2018framework\u2019 deal already agreed?<\/p>\n On Monday the US and China<\/a> agreed on a framework for a trade deal ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.<\/p>\n Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said the agreement \u2013 forged on the sidelines of the Association of south-east Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Malaysia on Sunday \u2013 would remove the threat of the imposition of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports starting on 1 November and include \u201ca final deal\u201d on the sale of TikTok in the US.<\/a><\/p>\n Bessent said China said it would \u201cdelay\u201d the export controls on minerals used in fighter jets, smartphones and electric vehicles for a year as part of the truce.<\/p>\n China\u2019s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said both sides had reached a \u201cpreliminary consensus\u201d and would next go through their respective internal approval processes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>What is on the agenda for Trump-Xi meeting? Today\u2019s talks will centre on tariffs as Donald Trump<\/a> seeks to end the bruising trade war with Beijing, while Taiwan and Russia are also likely to be discussed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us,\u201d Trump told reporters as he embarked on the trip. \u201cI think we\u2019ll have a good meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n Here is more detail on what the pair are likely to talk about:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Welcome summary<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the first meeting between Donald Trump<\/a> and Xi Jinping since 2019. The meeting comes amid hopes that the leaders of the US and China could hammer out a trade deal that would bring a truce in the blistering trade war between the world\u2019s two largest economies which has roiled global markets and sent international supply chains into panic.<\/p>\n Negotiators from Beijing and Washington have both confirmed a \u201cframework\u201d<\/a> has been agreed. It is now down to Trump and Xi, who will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korean today, to sign off on it.<\/p>\n The meeting is set to begin at 11am local time \u2013 in one hour \u2013 in Busan, a port city about 76km (47 miles) south of Gyeongju, the Apec summit\u2019s main venue. News reports a few minutes ago said Xi had left Beijing for South Korea<\/a>, citing Chinese state media.<\/p>\n High on the meeting\u2019s agenda will be rare earths. China\u2019s chokehold on the supply of the critical minerals \u2013 which are vital for US industries ranging from car making to military equipment \u2013 has been a powerful bargaining chip for Beijing.<\/p>\n China controls about 70% of the world\u2019s rare earths mining<\/a> and more than 90% of its processing capacity. This month, Beijing increased its restrictions on the export of rare earths and related technologies, citing national security concerns. Analysts noted that it came soon after the US expanded restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductor technology to China.<\/p>\n Also up for discussion will be the Ukraine war and China\u2019s claim on Taiwan<\/a>, although Trump said on Wednesday: \u201cI don\u2019t know that we\u2019ll even speak about Taiwan.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The meeting comes after Trump visited Malaysia, Japan<\/a> and South Korea on his Asia tour, striking a series of deals on rare earths<\/a>.<\/p>\n We will be closely following developments in Busan \u2013 stay with us.<\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Justin_McCurry,_L.png\")
Justin McCurry<\/p>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Amy_Hawkins.png\")
Amy Hawkins<\/p>\n