The president of the United States, donald trumpstated this Saturday that he was “willing, without a doubt” to meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-unas part of a tour of Asia that begins today in Malaysia.
“If he wishes to meet with me, I am willing to do so, without a doubt.“Trump said in statements to reporters aboard the presidential plane heading to Malaysiawhere he will participate in the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the first stop on an Asian tour that will also take him to Japan and South Korea.
In North KoreaThey have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone services“Trump added according to an audio of his statements to the press published by the magazine Forbesbefore noting that Kim “You know I’m going” and reiterate that “would be willing” to meet with the North Korean.
Trump affirmed, however, to the press present at the White House, before leaving Washington, that He doesn’t think the meeting with Kim will happen on this trip.and a US government official previously stated that such a meeting “is not planned”.
Nevertheless, South Korea affirmed that the meeting is still possible and that there aresigns” that Pyongyang and Washington could be preparing for a meeting, taking advantage of the American’s visit to the country during the events of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-youngsaid Pyongyang has been observed cleaning up and gardening on its side of Panmunjon, a village located in the demilitarized zone that divides the two Koreas and where Kim and Trump met in 2019.
Seoul has described the American’s visit as a “unique opportunity” to meet with Kim, who last month declared that he retains “good memories” by Trump.
The North Korean leader paid tribute this Saturday to Chinese soldiers who died during the Korean War (1950-1953) and praised the ties between Pyongyang and Beijing, according to the state news agency. KCNAafter Pyongyang launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) on Wednesday, a gesture interpreted by analysts as a show of force before Washington and Seoul.
In another order, in the middle of the beginning of Trump’s trip, China and the United States began a new round of trade negotiations this Saturday in Malaysiain an attempt to avoid a further escalation in the tariff war that affects both economies, state media reported.
Starting November 1st, The US administration would place new 100% tariffs on imports of Chinese products. For this reason, the official agency Xinhua reported that “The Chinese and American delegations met on Saturday morning to discuss economic and trade issues.”.
The White House confirmed that the meeting between the American president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will be celebrated on October 30 in South Koreawithin the framework of the APEC summit.
Trump had previously threatened to cancel the meeting after an uptick in the trade war with Beijing, but said Wednesday that he now hopes to “reach an agreement on everything.”
The host countries prepare a formal reception to maintain good relations with the president and seek the best possible agreements on tariffs and security cooperation.
