(Air Force One) US President Trump hopes his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping will result in a "comprehensive agreement." He also hinted that he might meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to the Korean Peninsula.
Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (October 26) aboard Air Force One to attend the ASEAN summit, beginning a five-day trip to Asia. He is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Xi Jinping on Thursday (October 30) while in South Korea. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in Gyeongju, South Korea, from October 31 to November 1.
In an interview with accompanying reporters aboard his plane, Trump said that China's purchases of Russian oil might be discussed during his meeting with Xi, noting that China has already reduced its purchases.
The United States announced sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil on Wednesday (October 22). On Friday, several Chinese state-owned enterprises, including Sinopec, canceled some purchases of Russian crude oil by sea.
Trump said the two would also discuss agriculture and China's exports of fentanyl ingredients. "We're going to discuss a lot of issues. I think it's very likely that we'll get a very comprehensive agreement."
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Trump expressed uncertainty about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would cooperate in ending the war in Ukraine. Referring to the recently canceled Trump-Putin summit, Trump reiterated, "I don't want to waste time. I've always had a great relationship with Putin, but he's very disappointed me this time."
As for whether he would meet with Kim Jong-un this time, Trump said before his departure, "I'm open to it." This sparked speculation that the two might not meet again since 2019.
Kim Jong-un previously demanded that the United States recognize North Korea's nuclear status as a precondition for negotiations. In response, Trump said, "Well, I think they're a nuclear power... I would say they have a lot of nuclear weapons."
Kim Jong-un has said he would be willing to meet with Trump if Washington stopped demanding that Pyongyang give up its nuclear arsenal.
