President Trump has already floated the first demand he will make in talks with China President Xi Jinping set for Thursday in South Korea.
If Xi wants to avoid antagonizing the commander-in-chief who is flexing US muscle with new military deployments and trade threats, he’ll have a ready response.
Trump said flatly this week that confronting the flow of fentanyl to the US would be “the first question I’m going to be asking.”
That amounted to a tip-off, and a noteworthy one given the long list of differences between the two powerful adversaries.
“It’s not the usual – it’s not soybeans for the farmers. It’s not that [China] failed to implement the January 2020 agreement. It’s not intellectual property theft. It’s not threatening Taiwan with daily aircraft and naval ships going around Taiwan,” said China expert Michael Pillsbury, who has advised Trump.
“Usually he’s secretive about negotiations. Here he is laying out his highest concern is fentanyl,” said Pillsbury, whose book “The 100 Year Marathon” probes China’s long-term goal of overtaking the US, and who has argued China should cooperate with US law enforcement to track down drug money- laundering groups.
Trump took off for an extended trip to Asia Friday night – with aides unsure of what posture he might take that might unwind trade tensions with China, with one White House official saying he had no idea.
He told reporters en route both sides would have to make concessions. He also signaled he might take a surprise meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. “If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it,” Trump said late Friday.
He indicated the ball is in Kim’s court. “He probably knows I’m coming, right? I’d be open to it 100 percent,” Trump said.
Trump and Xi will meet in person on Oct. 30 in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, providing the most high-impact moment of his week-long trip, with repercussions for the global economy.
It comes after Trump fumed at China’s sudden decision to limit access to its vital cache or rare earth minerals, rocking financial markets.
Trump responded with his own threat to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, on top of existing 57% tariffs.
Trade, nuclear arms, and billions in U.S. soybean exports are all on the table. Trump also says he’ll also raise the issue of Chinese purchases of Russian oil, which Moscow uses to fund the war in Ukraine.
“I think we’ll make a deal,” Trump predicted Wednesday about his meeting with Xi.
Trump’s team will land in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia Sunday morning local time. He hopes to put another notch on his “peace” belt a week after brokering the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas. He plans to view a signing ceremony there between the governments of Thailand and Cambodia, provided they can stop shooting at each other after repeat border clashes.
Trump heads to Tokyo Monday morning local time for his first meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi – a drummer in her past life – is preparing to announce the Japanese government will purchase a fleet of U.S.-made Ford pickup trucks, a source told the Post.
Takaichi’s predecessor Shigeru Ishiba committed in February to have Japan invest a jaw-dropping $1 trillion in the U.S., but the details have yet to be hammered out. A White House official called it a “working trip” and said there were multiple meetings to try to finalize the agreement.
