Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump and his top advisers are silently preparing to travel to South Korea in October for the gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers where he will may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, CNN reported quoting Trump administration officials. The US administration officials said that there have been serious discussions about a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC, but no firm plans are in place.
The summit, set to be held in the city of Gyeongju between late October and early November, is viewed as a key opportunity for Trump to meet President Xi. In a phone call last month, Xi invited Trump and his wife to visit China, an invitation the US President reciprocated, though no dates have been set.
Details are still being finalised and it’s unclear whether the US President may add other stops on the trip. The officials said the Trump administration is also viewing it as an opportunity for the President to clinch more economic investments in the US — something that has been a key focus of his recent trips abroad, including during his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“A visit to South Korea is being discussed, which would focus on economic collaboration,” a White House official told CNN. Other goals include a focus on discussions around trade, defence and civil nuclear cooperation, the official said. Trump’s presence in the region could also put him in a position to sit down once again with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, though whether Kim attends is still a question.
