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View all search resultsTrump meets 'tough negotiator' Xi
The US president, who minutes before said he has ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia, complimented a smiling Xi as a "very tough negotiator" as they shook hands.
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US President Donald Trump (left) extends for a handshake with China's President Xi Jinping as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. (AFP/Andrew Caballero Reynolds)
U
S President Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping opened on Thursday their first face-to-face meeting in six years, seeking a truce to end a trade war that has roiled the world economy.
The US president, who minutes before said he has ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia, complimented a smiling Xi as a "very tough negotiator" as they shook hands.
"We'll have a great understanding," Trump said in Busan, South Korea, predicting a "fantastic relationship for a long period of time".
Xi acknowledged that both sides did not always see eye to eye, but should strive to be "partners and friends".
"China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world," said Xi.
Sitting opposite each other each leader was flanked by senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury chief Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Xi's team, which arrived from Beijing shortly before -- the US side was already in South Korea -- included Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Vice Premier He Lifeng.
The US leader's latest missive on nuclear weapons testing broadened the stakes for his talks with Xi.
Minutes before meeting Xi, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis".
Trump added that in terms of nuclear weapons stockpiles, China was a "distant third" behind the United States and Russia "but will be even in 5 years".
The comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of US warnings.
Trump did not provide details or respond to a question from a journalist about his surprising nuclear announcement before the crucial meeting with Xi.
