Trump: Meeting with Xi in 4 Weeks, the Main Focus Is This

Soybeans are harvested from a field on Hodgen Farm in Roachdale.

[People News] In recent times, Chinese diplomats have been working hard to arrange a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping. On October 1, Trump revealed on the “Truth Social” platform that in 4 weeks he will meet Xi Jinping, and the key focus of their talks will be soybeans. As for the location of the Trump–Xi meeting, the outside world speculates it will be in Gyeongju, South Korea, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

On October 1, Trump stated on the “Truth Social” platform that in 4 weeks he would meet with Xi Jinping. The highlight of the discussion at that time will be “soybeans.” Trump wrote: “Our nation’s soybean farmers are being hurt because China (the CCP), just for the purpose of ‘negotiation,’ is unwilling to buy from us.”

Four weeks later, the APEC Leaders’ Summit will be held in Gyeongju, South Korea.

The Chosun Ilbo on September 30 quoted South Korean officials as revealing that Xi Jinping will stay in South Korea for two nights from October 31 to November 1 to attend the APEC summit in Gyeongju. During that time, he will hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. At present, the CCP has not yet officially confirmed whether Xi Jinping will attend.

It is reported that the Chinese Embassy in South Korea, in preparing for Xi Jinping’s visit, had previously considered booking the entire Shilla Hotel in Seoul for the Chinese delegation during the APEC summit, but the reservation was canceled on September 27.

China is one of the world’s largest buyers of soybeans and has a significant influence on the soybean market. Earlier this year, Trump imposed high tariffs on China. Beijing then retaliated, one of the measures being a 34% tariff on U.S. soybeans and other agricultural products.

On October 1, Trump reiterated his idea of using part of U.S. tariff revenue to subsidize farmers. In 2020, Trump signed an agreement with Beijing that included commitments for China to purchase more U.S. agricultural products and expand access for American businesses to the Chinese market. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, Beijing did not meet its promised purchase targets.

Republican U.S. Senator John Hoeven, after meeting with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue on Tuesday (September 30), said he does not believe there is a concrete timetable for Beijing to resume importing U.S. soybeans. “There are more discussions ongoing. We must continue to apply pressure until imports resume. In the meantime, we should support our farmers.”△