Tag: xi jinping

November 1, 2025

China’s economy slows to 4.8% annual growth in July-September, hit by tariffs and slack demand

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HONG KONG (AP) — China’s economy expanded at the slowest annual pace in a year in July-September, growing 4.8%, weighed down by trade tensions with the United States and slack domestic demand.

The July-September data was the weakest pace of growth since the third quarter of 2024, and compares with a 5.2% pace of growth in the previous quarter, the government said in a report Monday.

In January-September, the world’s second largest economy grew at a 5.2% annual pace. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs on imports from China, its exports have remained relatively strong as companies expanded sales to other world markets.

China’s exports to the United States fell 27% in September from the year before, even though growth in its global exports hit a six-month high, climbing 8.3%.

Exports of electric vehicles doubled in September from a year earlier, while domestic passenger car sales climbed 11.2% year-on-year in last month, down from a 15% rise in August, according to data released last week.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington remain elevated, and it’s unclear if Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will go ahead with a proposed meeting during a regional summit at the end of this month.

Xi and other ruling Communist Party members are convening one of China’s most important political meetings for the year on Monday, where they will map out economic and social policy goals for the country for the next five years.

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The economy slowed in the last quarter as the authorities moved to curb fierce price wars in sectors such as the auto industry due to excess capacity.

China is also facing challenges including a prolonged property sector downturn which has been affecting consumption and demand.

Data released Monday showed China’s residential property sales fell 7.6% by value in the January-September period from a year earlier. Industrial output rose 6.5% year-on-year last month, the fastest pace since June, but retail sales growth slowed to 3% from the year before.

Ratings agency S&P estimates nationwide new home sales will fall by 8% in 2025 from the year before and by 6% to 7% in 2026.

The World Bank expects China’s economy to grow at a 4.8% annual rate this year. The government’s official growth target is around 5%.

Chinese shares rose Monday, with the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbing 2.3% and the Shanghai Composite index up 0.5%.

A National Bureau of Statistics spokesman said China has a “solid foundation” to achieve its full-year growth target, but cited external complications — including trade friction with the U.S. and other trading partners and protectionist policies in many countries — as reasons for the slowdown.

China’s stronger economic growth in the first half of this year gives it “some buffer” to achieve the growth target, said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING Bank.

However, spending during China’s eight-day Golden Week national holiday in October was “mildly disappointing,” reflecting sluggish consumer confidence and demand, Morningstar analysts said in a note this month.

Investments in factories, equipment and other “fixed assets” fell 0.5% in the last quarter, underscoring weakness in domestic demand. It also was reflected in prices, which have continued to fall both at the consumer and the wholesale level.

There’s room for the government to do more, Song said.

“(We) are looking to see if there will be further measures to support consumption and the property market, as the impact from previous policies begins to weaken,” Song said.

Economists are also expecting a rate cut by China’s central bank by the end of the year, which could encourage more spending and investment.

China’s economy is also likely to further slow in 2026, said Jacqueline Rong, chief China economist at BNP Paribas, as property investment in the country “looks (to) continue falling” and the AI boom, which helped lift China’s economy and fueled a stock market rally, is expected to moderate.

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October 31, 2025

China says it will work with US to resolve issues related to TikTok

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President Donald Trump’s meeting Thursday with China’s top leader Xi Jinping produced a raft of decisions to help dial back trade tensions, but no agreement on TikTok’s ownership.

“China will work with the U.S. to properly resolve issues related to TikTok,” China’s Commerce Ministry said after the meeting.

It gave no details on any progress toward ending uncertainty about the fate of the popular video-sharing platform in the U.S.

The Trump administration had been signaling that it may have finally reached a deal with Beijing to keep TikTok running in the U.S.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the two leaders will “consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea.”

Wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed — and President Joe Biden signed — a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it did not find a new owner to replace China’s ByteDance. The platform went dark briefly on a January deadline but on his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration tries to reach an agreement for the sale of the company.

Three more executive orders followed, as Trump, without a clear legal basis, extended deadlines for a TikTok deal. The second was in April, when White House officials believed they were nearing a deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with U.S. ownership. That fell apart when China backed out after Trump announced sharply higher tariffs on Chinese products. Deadlines in June and September passed, with Trump saying he would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in a way that meets national security concerns.

Trump’s order was meant to enable an American-led group of investors to buy the app from China’s ByteDance, though the deal also requires China’s approval.

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However, TikTok deal is “not really a big thing for Xi Jinping,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, during a media briefing Tuesday. “(China is) happy to let (Trump) declare that they have finally kept a deal. Whether or not that deal will protect the data of Americans is a big question going forward.”

“A big question mark for the United States, of course, is whether this is consistent with U.S. law since there was a law passed by Congress,” Glaser said.

About 43% of U.S. adults under the age of 30 say they regularly get news from TikTok, higher than any other social media app, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, according to a Pew Research Center report published in September.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they weren’t sure.

Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users’ data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report.

The security debate centers on the TikTok recommendation algorithm — which has steered millions of users into an endless stream of video shorts. China has said the algorithm must remain under Chinese control by law. But a U.S. regulation that Congress passed with bipartisan support said any divestment of TikTok would require the platform to cut ties with ByteDance.

American officials have warned the algorithm — a complex system of rules and calculations that platforms use to deliver personalized content — is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, but no evidence has been presented by U.S. officials proving that China has attempted to do so.

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Associated Press Writer Fu Ting contributed to this story from Washington.

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October 31, 2025

10/30: CBS Morning News

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10/30: CBS Morning News – CBS News

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Pres. Trump reduces China tariffs after “amazing meeting” with Xi Jinping; firefighters rescue dog from cliff in San Francisco.

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October 31, 2025

What happened during Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping

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President Trump is back in Washington, D.C., after spending the week in Asia. His trip culminated in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which Mr. Trump described as “amazing.” CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe has more on what the pair discussed.

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October 30, 2025

What to Know About Trump’s Trade Deal With China’s Xi

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Tariffs, soybean purchases and a crackdown on fentanyl were among the issues discussed by the two leaders.

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Joshua Jamerson

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October 30, 2025

Trump, Xi Jinping meet face-to-face in South Korea over trade | Special Report

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Trump, Xi Jinping meet face-to-face in South Korea over trade | Special Report – CBS News

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President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is their first face-to-face since Mr. Trump returned to the White House. Jessi Mitchell anchors this Special Report.

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Trump Meets Xi for High-Stakes U.S.-China Summit

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BUSAN, South Korea—President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met face-to-face for the first time in six years in an attempt to find a truce in a bruising fight between the two superpowers over trade and technology.

The two leaders convened at the airport in this South Korean port city late Thursday morning local time. As they shook hands, Trump said it’s “good to see you again,” and added, “We’re going to have a very successful meeting, I have no doubt. But he’s a very tough negotiator, that’s not good.”

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From TikTok to soybeans: Breaking down agenda for Trump-Xi meeting

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President Trump is expected to sit down with China’s Xi Jinping in South Korea for trade talks shortly as he wraps up his trip to Asia. Micah McCartney, a Taipei-based journalist with Newsweek, joins CBS News to preview the meeting.

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Donald Trump meets Xi Jinpiing: Five things president wants from China

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U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Newsweek has rounded up five things Trump will be trying to get.

Trade Truce

Trump will be pushing for a trade truce amid a fierce trade war between the world’s two largest economies that saw the American president threaten a 100 percent tariff hike on Chinese goods this month.

On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had come to a “very substantial framework” with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that would avoid the measure. He said on NBC’s Meet the Press that he had laid down the groundwork for Trump and Xi to discuss trade cooperation further.

Rare Earth Concessions

The 100 percent tariff threat, which would begin on November 1, came over new Chinese export licensing rules being expanded to cover products containing even trace amounts of rare earth elements.

Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer dubbed the move a “global supply chain power grab” and Washington has raced in recent months to secure supply deals with partners, including Australia and Canada, to reduce its dependency on Beijing.

Trump will likely want to reverse the decision as part of his discussions as China controls more than two-thirds of the world’s rare earths, a group of 17 minerals vital to producing technologies such as electric vehicles and missile guidance systems.

More Soybeans Sales

Trump will likely try push China to resume buying soybeans, America’s largest agricultural exports, as it bought none in September, according to Reuters, causing possible strain for American farmers, a group that forms a part of Trump’s political base.

Progress On Cutting Fentanyl

Trump has already said he plans to lower American tariffs imposed on China over the fentanyl crisis.

“I expect to be lowering that because I believe they’re going to help us with the fentanyl situation,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday. “They’ll be doing what they can do,” he said, adding that “China is going to be working with me.”

Washington is considering reducing the tariff from 20 percent to 10 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

“China sympathizes with the American people for the suffering caused by the fentanyl crisis and has provided assistance in this regard and achieved positive results,” Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Wednesday.

Help Put Pressure On Russia

Trump has previously said he would “like China to help us out with Russia” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hopeful. He said on Monday that if Trump manages to “find an understanding with China about the reduction of Russian energy exports…it’ll help us all.”

It comes after Trump canceled his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and imposed sanctions on two Russian oil companies.

Trump said on Wednesday: “What I’ll really be talking to him [Xi] about is, how do we end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s through oil or energy or anything else.

“I think he’s going to be very receptive. He would now like to—I’m not sure that he did at the beginning—he would now like to see that war end. I think he can have a big influence on Putin.”

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After Demolishing the U.S.-China Relationship, Trump Is Rebuilding It His Way

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President Trump blew up America’s decadeslong engagement with China during his first term. Now, he is poised to relaunch the kind of engagement with Beijing embraced by predecessors from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama—but on Trump’s terms.

Top trade negotiators for the U.S. and China, wrapping up two days of tense talks in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, said they arrived at a framework agreement that sets the table for Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to agree on a major deal when they meet Thursday in South Korea.

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October 28, 2025

‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

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‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

President Trump promotes economic prosperity during his visit to Japan, while layoffs and a federal shutdown threaten millions back in the U.S.

Updated: 3:03 PM PDT Oct 28, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan. The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.”Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story. Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand. Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.”I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown. In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.” The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

WASHINGTON —

President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan.

The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.

“Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.

The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story.

Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand.

Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.

“I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.

President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.

Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”

The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.

It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.

For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

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October 28, 2025

What to expect from Trump’s meeting with China’s Xi

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President Trump is expected to hold a highly anticipated meeting with his Chinese counterpart during his trip to Asia later this week. Ahead of the meeting with President Xi, the White House announced the two sides have agreed on a framework of a trade deal. The Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome joins to discuss.

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Trump touts progress in trade talks with China during Asia visit

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Trump touts progress in trade talks with China during Asia visit – CBS News

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President Trump’s Asia trip included new signs of progress in trade talks with China. Nancy Cordes has more.

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Opinion | Xi Gives Trump a Taiwan Test

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China’s president wants the U.S. to oppose the democratic island’s independence.

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The Editorial Board

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U.S., China agree to framework for trade deal ahead of Trump visit with Xi Jinping

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U.S., China agree to framework for trade deal ahead of Trump visit with Xi Jinping – CBS News

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The U.S. and China have agreed to a framework of a deal ahead of Thursday’s meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. CBS News’ Willie James Inman and Sam Vinograd have more.

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Trump predicts China trade deal finalized in days as his Asia tour continues in Japan

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President Trump arrived Monday in Japan, where new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is banking on building a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to ease trade tensions.

Mr. Trump’s Asian tour, which kicked off over the weekend, has a heavy focus on business ties, and speaking to journalists as he flew into the Japanese capital, he predicted that a U.S.-China trade agreement would be done before he returned to Washington.

But first, the meeting with Takaichi will be an early diplomatic test for Japan’s first woman leader. She took office only last week, and has a tenuous coalition backing her.

During the flight to Tokyo, he came back to the press cabin on Air Force One, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He said he’d talk about the “great friendship” between the U.S. and Japan during his visit.

President Trump gestures after alighting from Air Force One upon arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 27, 2025.

PHILIP FONG/AFP/Getty

“I hear phenomenal things” about Takaichi, Mr. Trump said, noting her closeness with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Mr. Trump had a good relationship during his first term.

“It’s going to be very good,” he said. “That really helps Japan and the United States.”

Mr. Trump’s only scheduled event on Monday following his arrival is a meeting at the Imperial Palace with Emperor Naruhito, Japan’s ceremonial head of state.

The American leader spent Sunday in Malaysia, participating in a regional summit of Southeast Asian nations where he struck preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Trump says he expects trade deal with China done this week

Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he expected to reach a trade agreement with China in the coming days.

Officials from the world’s two largest economies said Sunday that they’d reached an initial consensus for Mr. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to try to finalize during a high-stakes meeting later in the week.

“I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I think we’re going to come away with a deal,” Mr. Trump said.

File:The Best Of U.S. President Donald Trump — President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet attendees waving American and Chinese flags during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, in a Nov. 9, 2017 file photo.

Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Bessent also said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that a TikTok deal announced last month was set to be finalized Thursday during the Trump-Xi meeting.

After his visit to Japan, Mr. Trump is set to end his Asian tour in South Korea, where he’s expected to meet with Xi on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).

Trump renews openness to meeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Mr. Trump also said he would be willing to extend his trip to Asia if there was a chance to talk with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Kim. Since South Korea is the president’s last stop before returning to the U.S., “it’s pretty easy to do,” he told reporters on Air Force One.

Mr. Trump’s overtures to reconnect with Kim have gone unanswered.

“If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Mr. Trump said.

Trump downplays notion of becoming U.S. vice president

On other matters, Mr. Trump rejected the possibility of running for vice president as a way to get back to the presidency, saying, “I’d be allowed to do it” but wouldn’t because “it’s too cute.”

Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, has repeatedly said the president could serve a third term despite a constitutional prohibition. Mr. Trump himself has flirted with the idea.

On Air Force One, Mr. Trump said, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

He praised Rubio and Vance as potential future Republican candidates. “I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” he said.

South China Sea, Taiwan, and tariffs

There’s no shortage of security issues in the region, including access to the South China Sea and the future of Taiwan. But Mr. Trump’s focus has undoubtedly been trade and his desire to realign the international economy in his vision of “America first.”

For the most part, that means tariffs, or at least the threat of them. Mr. Trump has frequently used taxes on imports — from allies and adversaries alike — in an effort to boost domestic manufacturing or seek more favorable terms.

However, his unilateral power to enact tariffs remains contested. The president is awaiting a Supreme Court decision in a case that could solidify his authority or limit it.

The president flew to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he attended the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He participated in a ceremonial signing of an expanded ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which fought earlier this year. Trump helped pressure both countries to stop by threatening to withhold trade agreements.

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Trump says he expects to reach trade deal with China as his Asia trip continues

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President Trump is scheduled to arrive soon in Japan, where new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is banking on building a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to ease trade tensions.

The meeting is an early diplomatic test for Takaichi, the first woman to lead Japan. She took office only last week, and has a tenuous coalition backing her.

Mr. Trump spent Sunday in Malaysia, where he participated in a regional summit of Southeast Asian nations and reached preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

While en route to Japan, he came back to the press cabin on Air Force One along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Mr. Trump said he would talk about the “great friendship” between the U.S. and Japan during his visit.

President Trump waves before departing on Air Force One for Japan from Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 27, 2025.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

“I hear phenomenal things” about the Takaichi, he said, noting her closeness with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Mr. Trump had a good relationship during his first term.

“It’s going to be very good,” he said. “That really helps Japan and the United States.”

Mr. Trump said he expected to reach a trade agreement with China.

Officials from the world’s two largest economies said Sunday that they’d reached an initial consensus for Mr. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to try to finalize during a high-stakes meeting later in the week.

“I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I think we’re going to come away with a deal,” Mr. Trump said.

He added that he might sign a final deal on TikTok on Thursday.

Bessent said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” Sunday that a TikTok deal announced last month is set to be finalized on Thursday during the Trump-Xi meeting.

Trump was heading next to Japan before ending his Asian tour in South Korea, where he’s expected to meet with Xi on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (known as APEC) forum

On other matters, Mr. Trump rejected the possibility of running for vice president as a way to get back to the presidency, saying, “I’d be allowed to do it” but wouldn’t because “it’s too cute.”

Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, has repeatedly said the president could serve a third term despite a constitutional prohibition. Mr. Trump himself has flirted with the idea.

On Air Force One, Mr. Trump said, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

He praised Rubio and Vance as potential future Republican candidates. “I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” he said.

Mr. Trump also said he’d be willing to extend his trip if there was a chance to talk to reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Kim. Since South Korea is the president’s last stop before returning to the U.S., “it’s pretty easy to do,” he noted.

Mr. Trump’s overtures to reconnect with Kim have gone unanswered.

“If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump said.

There’s no shortage of security issues in the region, including access to the South China Sea and the future of Taiwan. But Mr. Trump’s focus has undoubtedly been trade and his desire to realign the international economy in his vision of “America first.”

For the most part, that means tariffs, or at least the threat of them. Mr. Trump has frequently used taxes on imports – from allies and adversaries alike – in an effort to boost domestic manufacturing or seek more favorable terms.

However, his unilateral power to enact tariffs remains contested. The president is awaiting a Supreme Court decision in a case that could solidify his authority or limit it.

The president is flying to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur, where he attended the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He participated in a ceremonial signing of an expanded ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which fought earlier this year. Trump helped pressure both countries to stop by threatening to withhold trade agreements.

The summit isn’t a guaranteed part of any president’s itinerary, but it was an opportunity for Mr. Trump to reengage with a critical region for the first time since returning to office.

While on his way to Japan, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that Argentine President Javier Milei was “doing a wonderful job” as his party beat expectations in midterm elections.

“Our confidence in him was justified by the People of Argentina,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Trump ally Milei essentially received a vote of confidence to pursue his policies to break long-standing inflation and economic problems in Argentina. A libertarian seeking to unlock free-market forces, Milei has endeared himself to Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement with an appearance this year at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the U.S.

The Trump administration provided a $20 billion credit swap line to bolster Milei ahead of the election and was looking to provide an additional $20 billion to support the value of Argentina’s peso.

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Optimism for U.S.-China trade deal as Trump kicks off Asia trip

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Ahead of a high stakes meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both sides are signaling optimism for reaching a new trade agreement. Weijia Jiang reports.

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