Overview
- China confirmed President Xi Jinping will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday in South Korea for talks billed as addressing long-term strategic issues and easing trade tensions.
- Negotiators outlined a framework in Malaysia that officials say could pair lower U.S. tariffs with Chinese steps on fentanyl precursors, potential delays to rare earth export controls, and renewed purchases of U.S. soybeans.
- Trump met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Gyeongju, where Lee requested U.S. consent for fuel for nuclear-powered submarines and both sides acknowledged stalled details on a July framework tied to about $350 billion in Korean investment.
- North Korea launched sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles the day before Trump’s arrival, a test confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Trump played down the launches and signaled a possible return trip to meet Kim Jong-un rather than a meeting this week.
- At the APEC CEO events, Trump said he intends to pursue a trade deal with India, even as he focuses on talks with China and an unfinished tariff agreement with South Korea.