US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face-to-face in South Korea on Thursday, marking their first direct interaction in six years and the first since Trump began his second term in office.
Speaking to the media, President Trump expressed warmth and respect toward his Chinese counterpart, describing Xi as “a friend of mine for a long time” and “a very distinguished and respected leader of a great country.” He noted that both leaders had already reached several agreements and were set to finalise more during their discussions. Emphasising his optimism about the future of bilateral relations, Trump said he believed the United States and China would enjoy “a fantastic relationship for a long period of time,” calling it “an honour” to host President Xi.
“It’s a great honour to be with a friend of mine, really for a long time now. The very, very distinguished and respected President of China. We’ve already agreed to a lot of things, and we’ll agree to some more right now, but President Xi is a great leader of a great country, and I think we’re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time, and it’s an honour to have you with us,” Trump said.
#WATCH | President of the United States, Donald Trump, says, “It’s a great honour to be with a friend of mine, really for a long time now. The very, very distinguished and respected President of China. We’ve already agreed to a lot of things, and we’ll agree to some more right… https://t.co/oTG42Qj8Bj pic.twitter.com/xuuTxrZv5c — ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2025
The high-profile summit comes at a pivotal moment, as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to escalate over trade, technology, and access to critical minerals.
According to officials, the talks are expected to address a wide range of issues, with a particular focus on rare earth mining, a sector vital to both nations’ strategic and economic interests. Seen as a key diplomatic engagement, the meeting represents an effort to manage the increasingly complex relationship between the world’s two largest economies, which have long been locked in a prolonged trade and technology rivalry.