Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in South Korea for the first time in 11 years to attend the APEC summit and discuss trade and security with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump also traveled to Busan for their first in-person meeting in six years. The summit draws attention amid the U.S.-China trade war and tensions over Korean Peninsula security.
On October 30, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping landed at Gimhae International Airport, marking his first visit to South Korea since 2014. The trip is for attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and holding talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump on issues from tariffs to security. Xi is scheduled to meet Trump at 11 a.m. in Busan, with the venue set at Naraemaru, a reception hall inside an Air Force base at the airport.
Trump departed Gyeongju, the host city for APEC events, aboard Marine One and arrived in Busan. This will be the leaders' first in-person summit since 2019, amid the U.S.-China trade war. Negotiators reached a framework agreement last week in Malaysia, averting U.S. 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the tariffs are now 'effectively off the table.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the leaders 'will have in-depth communication on strategic and long-term issues concerning China-U.S. relations, as well as major issues of mutual concern.'
Discussions are expected to cover China's rare earth export controls, curbing fentanyl precursor exports, and resuming U.S. soybean purchases. Current tariffs stand at 50 percent on Chinese goods into the U.S. and 10 percent on U.S. goods into China. Trump posted on Truth Social: 'Very much looking forward to my meeting with President Xi of China.' He indicated Taiwan might not be a focus, saying, 'I don't know that we'll even speak about Taiwan.'
Xi will hold a separate summit with Lee on Saturday to discuss upgrading the 10-year free trade agreement, expanding visa-free travel, North Korea issues, and bilateral exchanges. In an interview with Xinhua, Lee emphasized: 'South Korea urgently needs China's constructive role in order to achieve a substantive solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and to build peace.' The visit could shape South Korea's relations with Beijing and Washington amid escalating U.S.-China rivalry.