Trump Plans Visit to South Korea: Possible Meeting with Xi Jinping

U.S. President Donald Trump and his top advisors are preparing to visit South Korea in October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers' meeting, three officials from Trump's administration told CNN.

According to sources, Trump may have the opportunity to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during this visit. Details are still being finalized, and it remains unclear whether Trump will add other stops during his trip. Officials noted that the administration sees this as a chance for the president to encourage more economic investment in the U.S., which has been a primary focus of his recent overseas trips.

“A visit to South Korea focusing on economic cooperation is under discussion,” a White House official told CNN. The potential meeting with the Chinese president is noteworthy amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing over Trump's tariffs, as China has been a primary target of his administration's trade policies.

U.S. and Chinese officials have engaged in a series of negotiations, including two personal meetings with economic advisors from the two countries regarding a trade agreement. In April, Trump imposed a 145% tariff on imports of Chinese goods, to which China retaliated with a 125% tariff on American products. Those tariffs were set to resume last month, but Trump signed an executive order suspending the high tariffs until November.