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U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week during a visit to Asia, the White House confirmed on Thursday, ending speculation after recent tensions over trade.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that President Trump will depart for Malaysia late on Friday night. His trip will also include stops in Japan and South Korea, with the meeting with President Xi scheduled for next Thursday following Trump’s address at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.
“On Thursday morning local time, President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with President Xi of the People’s Republic of China before returning home,” Leavitt said.
The President’s itinerary begins on Sunday with a meeting with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a working dinner with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He will then travel to Tokyo on Monday to meet Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Trump heads to South Korea, where he will meet President Lee Jae Myung, deliver keynote remarks at a luncheon for business leaders on the sidelines of the APEC summit, and later attend a U.S.–APEC leaders’ working dinner.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have intensified since early October, when China significantly expanded restrictions on exports of rare-earth minerals. Trump swiftly threatened retaliatory tariffs and other measures, but in recent days has sounded more optimistic about achieving a trade agreement.
“I think we’re going to come out very well, and everyone’s going to be very happy,” Trump said on Thursday, striking a more positive tone than his top trade and finance officials, who are in Asia to ensure the meeting with Xi — the first of Trump’s second term — proceeds as planned.
Trump added that the first issue he intends to raise with President Xi will be fentanyl. Washington has long accused Beijing of failing to prevent the export of precursor chemicals used to produce the drug, which has driven overdose deaths in the United States. China, in turn, has rejected the accusation and accused Washington of using the issue to “blackmail” Beijing.
The White House has cited the flow of these chemicals from China as one of the reasons for increasing tariffs on Chinese imports.
“The first question I’m going to be asking him about is fentanyl,” Trump said. “I’m putting it right at the top of the list.”
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A United States Army soldier has been charged with making more than $400,000 by betting on the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to the Department of Justice.
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weakening Moscow’s war economy and limiting its capacity to sustain the war in Ukraine.
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of traditional allies raises concerns over his commitment to NATO.
International cyber agencies on Thursday (23 April) urged organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers to conceal malicious activity, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.
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