President Trump has already floated the first demand he will make in talks with China’s President Xi Jinping, set for Thursday in South Korea. If Xi wants to avoid antagonizing the commander-in-chief—who is flexing U.S. muscle with new military deployments and trade threats—he’ll need a ready response.
Trump said flatly this week that confronting the flow of fentanyl to the U.S. would be “the first question I’m going to be asking.” This amounted to a noteworthy tip-off, especially 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,” added Pillsbury, whose book *The 100 Year Marathon* probes China’s long-term goal of overtaking the U.S. He has argued China should cooperate with U.S. 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 could unwind trade tensions with China. One White House official admitted they had no idea what to expect.
He told reporters en route that both sides would have to make concessions. Trump 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 stated.
Trump and Xi will meet in person on October 30 in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. This meeting will provide the most high-impact moment of his week-long trip, with significant repercussions for the global economy.
The summit comes after Trump expressed frustration over China’s sudden decision to limit access to its vital cache of rare earth minerals, which rocked financial markets. In response, Trump threatened to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, on top of the existing 57% tariffs.
Trade, nuclear arms, and billions in U.S. soybean exports are all on the table. Trump also plans to 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 upcoming meeting with Xi.
Trump’s team will land in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday morning local time. He hopes to put another notch on his “peace” belt, coming a week after brokering the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
While in Malaysia, Trump plans to attend a signing ceremony between the governments of Thailand and Cambodia, provided they can halt ongoing clashes after repeated border incidents.
Following Malaysia, Trump heads to Tokyo Monday morning local time for his first meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. A former drummer, Takaichi is preparing to announce that 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 finalized.
A White House official called Trump’s trip a “working trip,” noting there are multiple meetings planned to try and hammer out the details of that massive agreement.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/25/us-news/trump-shows-cards-before-chinese-prez-xi-jinping-meeting/