A high-stakes showdown is set for the APEC summit in South Korea, as President Donald Trump confirmed he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping just as their 90-day trade truce nears its end.
The meeting is scheduled for two weeks from now, while the truce that has paused a devastating trade war is set to expire on November 10.
Adding to the drama, Trump has now admitted that his administration’s high-tariff policy is “not sustainable.” He immediately blamed China for the policy, claiming “they forced me to do that.”
This is a significant shift from last week, when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff by November 1 and even discussed canceling the APEC meeting with Xi.
Now, Trump says his goal is a “fair deal.” He continues to defend the tariffs as necessary leverage, arguing that without them, the US “would be exposed as being a nothing.”
