On Wednesday, Donald Trump landed in South Korea for the final stop of his five-day Asia tour. He arrived in the historic city of Gyeongju, shortly after North Korea launched a nuclear-capable cruise missile.
Although the missile test happened, Trump said he was focused on his meeting with South Korea’s President Lee Jae‑myung — and then heading to meet China’s leader Xi Jinping in Busan.
He told reporters on Air Force One: “I think we’re going to have a very good outcome for our country and for the world, actually.”
Trade & China
Trump expects a deal that might reduce U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods if China agrees to stop exporting certain precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl. China’s foreign ministry said the meeting will give new momentum to U.S.–China relations and they are ready to work for positive outcomes.
South Korea meeting
At the summit in Gyeongju, Trump said a trade deal with South Korea would be finalised “very soon”, though both sides say no major breakthrough is expected this week. In July, South Korea agreed to invest about $350 billion in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, but the details are still stuck.
During a working lunch, President Lee pledged more defence spending (which Trump wanted), and asked the U.S. to allow South Korea to reprocess nuclear fuel for submarines—a request the U.S. treaty had blocked.
Trump also promised to help South Korea deal with its northern neighbour. South and North Korea are still technically at war because the 1950-53 war ended only in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Taiwan & regional issues
The trade and China talks also cover high-tech, including sales of advanced AI chips by Nvidia to China, which is a major sticking point. Trump said he didn’t know if Taiwan would come up with Xi. Meanwhile Taiwan’s Foreign Minister said he’s not worried Trump would abandon the island.
The overall trip
This visit wraps up Trump’s Asia swing, through areas heavily affected by his tariff policies and growing U.S.–China competition. In Japan and Malaysia, he signed trade deals and encouraged investment.
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Source:- REUTERS
