Trump, Xi to make state visits to South Korea next week, Seoul security adviser says

SEOUL: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will make state visits next week to South Korea when the country hosts Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events, South Korea’s top security adviser said on Friday.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung plans to hold summit meetings with Trump and Xi separately, said Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s presidential security adviser.

“Through a series of summits between the leaders of South Korea and the United States, the United States and China, and South Korea and China, we will not only highlight South Korea’s role as a platform but also build consensus for peace, prosperity, and stability in the region,” Wi told reporters.

As part of a trip to Asia, Trump will meet Xi next week in South Korea, the White House said earlier, amid an escalation in trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Wi said South Korea was hoping to move forward on issues surrounding security and U.S. tariffs at an upcoming meeting between Lee and Trump, but he was uncertain whether any agreement between the two sides would be reached.

South Korea and its major ally remain “sharply” apart on the level of cash investment as part of a $350 billion package pledged by South Korea under a deal to lower U.S. tariffs on the country’s exports, Seoul’s industry minister said on Friday.

Lee plans to hold a summit with Xi where the two leaders are expected to discuss a deepening bilateral partnership and issues related to North Korea, said top security adviser Wi.

Before the APEC meetings, Lee will make a two-day trip to Malaysia between October 26-27 to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), also joined by Trump.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Lee will talk to Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Manet and discuss recent online scam issues.

“A super week of multilateral summits is kicking off, starting with the ASEAN Summit and continuing into the APEC Summit in Gyeongju,” Wi said.