Donald Trump caught on hot mic revealing plan for Xi meeting in South Korea amid US-China tensions

US President Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic revealing plans for a lengthy three to four-hour meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, predicting a “very satisfactory” outcome amid trade tensions.

In a candid hot mic moment during a diplomatic dinner in South Korea, US President Donald Trump revealed that his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would run far longer than officially planned — and hinted at a potential breakthrough in trade talks between the world’s two largest economies.

“We’re going to have something that’s going to be very, very satisfactory to China and to us,” Trump was overheard saying at a dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday. “I think it’s going to be a very good meeting. I look forward to it tomorrow morning when we meet.”

Trump reportedly told other leaders that the Thursday session with Xi would stretch “three to four hours,” even though White House guidance had budgeted less than two hours for the summit.

A VERY GOOD MEETING ON THE HORIZON

The meeting, set to take place on Thursday morning in Busan, comes at a delicate moment in US-China relations. Trade disputes, fentanyl exports, and restrictions on rare earth minerals have strained ties despite efforts by both sides to keep negotiations alive, according to the Associated Press.

Trump’s remark, captured before the microphones were switched off, seemed to suggest optimism about the talks’ outcome. “It’s going to be very, very satisfactory to both sides,” he said, offering one of his most upbeat predictions on US-China ties since returning to the White House.

TRADE TENSIONS AND FENTAYL AT THE FOREFRONT

Thursday’s agenda is expected to cover a wide range of issues, including tariffs, fentanyl trafficking, and technology exports. Trump has indicated he might reduce some tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Beijing’s cooperation on the fentanyl crisis.

“I expect to be lowering that because I believe that they’re going to help us with the fentanyl situation,” Trump said aboard Air Force One earlier this week. “The relationship with China is very good.”

Officials on both sides have been laying the groundwork for weeks. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s top trade envoy Li Chenggang said they had reached a preliminary consensus in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week — a signal that both nations want to ease trade friction.

MARKETS WATCHING CLOSELY

The prospect of a thaw has lifted investor sentiment, with markets reacting positively to reports of the upcoming meeting. Analysts say even a modest agreement could stabilize global supply chains and commodity prices. Still, experts caution against reading too much into the hot mic optimism.

“This fits the pattern we’ve seen all year: short-term stabilization dressed up as strategic progress,” said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China programme at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Both sides are managing volatility, not resolving rivalry.”

XI HOLDS LEVERAGE TOO

Xi Jinping, who will remain in South Korea after Trump departs for Washington, is expected to hold separate meetings with regional leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

Beijing’s control over rare earth exports, essential for US defense and tech manufacturing, gives Xi a crucial bargaining chip. China tightened export restrictions, part of a familiar cycle of brinkmanship before major summits.

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