Camilla Jessen
Following talks in South Korea, President Trump announced a breakthrough with China’s Xi Jinping.
In a White House press briefing on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to work together to help end the war in Ukraine, following a nearly two-hour meeting held in South Korea.
“We talked at length with Xi about Ukraine,” Trump told reporters afterward.
“We agreed that both sides are locked in a war, and sometimes you have to let them fight. It’s crazy. But Xi will help us, and we will work together on Ukraine.”
Trump did not offer specific details about China’s role in resolving the conflict, but said that discussions also touched on Beijing’s purchases of Russian oil.
Earlier this year, Trump imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, two of Russia’s largest oil firms, in a move that has disrupted oil trade between Russia and key buyers, including China and India.
“A 12 out of 10”
Trump called his meeting with Xi “wonderful” and rated it a “12 out of 10.”
He claimed the two sides had reached agreements on a range of issues — notably, a new one-year trade deal that both countries will now review annually.
“I think it’s going to be in place for a long time,” Trump said, adding that China had committed to immediate purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, including soybeans.
On the fentanyl crisis, Trump announced that China pledged to stop exports of the synthetic opioid to the U.S.
“I had imposed a 20 percent tariff on goods from China because of fentanyl. That’s a big tariff… I’ve reduced it by 10 percent,” he said, adding that China’s tariff rate currently stands at 47 percent.
Future visits and tariff talks
Trump also revealed plans for an official visit to China in April 2026, with a possible reciprocal visit by Xi to the United States.
The leaders met for the first time since the height of the U.S.–China trade war, during which tariffs soared as high as 145% on Chinese goods and 125% on U.S. goods.
Both sides agreed earlier this year to temporarily lower tariffs and begin negotiations for a long-term trade agreement.
Despite the high-level meeting, China has not yet commented publicly on the outcome or confirmed any commitments.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
