US President Trump Visits South Korea Ahead of Key APEC Summit
US President Donald Trump arrives in South Korea, the final stop on his Asia trip. It may also be the most momentous stop — as in just a day, he’ll be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the APEC summit — at a moment of heightened tension between the two powers. Even up to the last minute, trade friction has been building, with the US putting new bans on Chinese telecom gear Tuesday. But Trump says he looks forward to speaking with Xi.
Donald Trump (PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES):
President Xi of China’s coming tomorrow here and we’re going to be, I hope, making a deal. I think we’re going to have a deal. I think it’ll be a good deal for both. And that’s really a great result. You know, that’s better than fighting and going through all sorts of problems. You know, no reason for it. I think it’s going to be a great deal for both.
It’s not just trade that may be on the agenda: Geopolitics, too, could come out. One question on the minds of journalists traveling with Trump is whether Taiwan will come up in his meeting with Xi. China claims Taiwan, has vowed to use force to take it if necessary, and would like the US to openly oppose its independence. Earlier, on Air Force One, Trump told reporters he's not sure.
Donald Trump (PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES):
I don’t even know that we’ll even speak about Taiwan. I’m not sure. I mean, he might want to ask about it. There’s not that much to ask about. You know, Taiwan is Taiwan. But the beautiful part about Taiwan frankly, and they understand it is we’re bringing a lot of those chipmakers into the United States. If you look at the number one chipmaker in the world they’re building a massive factory in Arizona.
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, though, does foresee Taiwan on the agenda, saying Trump previously said he would talk about Taiwan with Xi. Though Taiwan’s own APEC delegation won’t have any input in what Trump says, the bureau thinks the US won’t change its policies to please Beijing.
National Security Bureau Official:
Will there be topics related to Taiwan? It looks like there will. Because President Trump has said they will touch on Taiwan. You probably noticed Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio said the US won’t use Taiwan as a bargaining chip for trade benefits with China. That’s his public pledge. We think that if Taiwan is a topic in the Trump-Xi meeting US aides will take some action and articulate the US policy towards Taiwan.
The stakes are high for host South Korea, too. With US tariffs shaking up world trade and geopolitical tensions brewing in Seoul’s own back yard, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is appealing to APEC's importance as a multilateral forum.
Lee Jae Myung (PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA):
In an era where protectionism and prioritization of national interests are on the rise, making immediate survival seem urgent, words like cooperation, mutual prosperity, and inclusive growth may sound hollow. Yet, paradoxically, it is in times of crisis like these that the role of APEC as a platform for solidarity shines even brighter.
But Seoul will have to pull off a delicate dance to make a success of this summit.
Given the deepening US–China rivalry, Beijing sees strengthening cooperation and improving ties with South Korea and Japan as essential to advancing its diplomatic interests. So at this APEC summit, alongside the US–China leaders’ meeting, China is likely to focus on managing its relations with both Seoul and Tokyo. If South Korea, as the chairing nation, can effectively navigate and balance its relations with the United States, Japan, and China, it may play a key role in preventing the further polarization of regional blocs around the Korean Peninsula.
On top of all this, North Korea has chosen today to test-fire cruise missiles, a reminder that the US and China aren’t the only geopolitical challenges in the region. It will be a tricky several days before the summit draws to a close on November 1.
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