U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on the 7th (local time) that he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
At the Oval Office that day, when asked by reporters during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney what cooperation the United States and Canada could pursue to respond to China, President Trump said, "(We must be able to) compete with China." He said, "We are managing our relationship with China very well, and I also have a very good relationship with President Xi," adding, "I am scheduled to meet him in a few weeks, and I plan to hold talks with him in Korea. We have had a very good relationship for a long time."
He added, "However, to get along well with China, we must be able to compete. If we cannot compete, we cannot get along well with China," and said, "Canada is a very competitive country, and it has also gotten along well with China for a long time."
President Trump is reportedly reviewing a plan to visit Korea on the 29th and stay for one night and two days to attend the APEC summit that opens in Gyeongju on the 30th. Xi is also expected to possibly visit Korea to attend the summit.
The two leaders agreed in a call on the 19th of last month to "meet at the APEC summit in Korea," and President Trump also posted on social media on the 1st, saying, "I plan to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping within four weeks."