"A great success, on a scale of 1 to 10, the meeting with Xi was a 12": Donald Trump concluded his Asian tour with satisfaction , after a two-hour meeting with the Chinese president in South Korea, his first face-to-face meeting in six years, during which relations between the two countries have become increasingly tense. But the atmosphere at the G-2 seemed relaxed, both at the beginning and at the end, when the two leaders shook hands amid smiles and pleasantries. This was despite the fact that shortly before the meeting, the commander in chief had flexed his muscles by announcing on Truth that he had ordered the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear testing after more than 30 years, "as other countries are doing," primarily Russia and China. The meeting served to seal the thaw and the agreement reached by negotiators in recent days, even if some details are missing. On the trade front, Trump announced a reduction in tariffs on Chinese goods from 57% to 47% and in tariffs on fentanyl from 20% to 10%, in exchange for Xi's commitment to cooperate in stopping trafficking of this narcotic, which continues to claim victims in the US.
The agreement on rare earths, "valid for the entire world," was also given the green light, with Beijing continuing to maintain export flows . It will last for one year and be renegotiated annually. The tycoon pleased American farmers, a core part of his electorate but in crisis and on a war footing for months, by announcing that purchases of US soybeans will begin "immediately." Trump also confirmed that he will travel to China in April, while Xi will return the visit later. On the war in Ukraine, he then assured, the US and China will work together, while the sensitive Taiwan issue , he clarified, was not discussed. There was also discussion of the export of US chips to China, which the US had blocked, "but not of the Blackwell artificial intelligence chip" (considered cutting-edge) produced by Nvidia.
Trump expressed regret at not being able to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because he was "too busy," but said he might return.
