President Donald Trump offered new details about his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, saying he expected the meeting to last several hours.
Trump made the comments during a diplomatic dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung on Wednesday. Trump was caught on a hot mic as he sat down for the meal, saying his meeting with Xi on Thursday morning would last ‘three to four hours.’
‘We’re going to have something that’s going to be very, very satisfactory to China and to us. I think we’re gonna have a — I think it’s going to be a very good meeting. I look forward to it tomorrow morning when we meet,’ Trump said.
During his formal remarks, Trump also said he was confident that South Korea’s conflict with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un would ‘work out very well.’
‘You have a neighbor that hasn’t been as nice as they could be, and I think they will be. I know Kim Jong Un very well, and I think things will work out very well,’ he said.
Trump said earlier this week that he would be open to meeting with Kim during his time in South Korea. Trump is entering the final leg of his five-day Asia trip on Wednesday, having already visited Japan earlier this week.
‘I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him, he liked me,’ Trump said during a gaggle on Air Force One on Monday.
Trump met with Kim multiple times during his first term, becoming the first U.S. president to set foot in North Korea. No meeting has been announced for this week, however.
Trump’s talks with his South Korean counterpart come as the two countries move closer to completing a new trade agreement.
Henry Haggard, former minister counselor for political affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, told Fox News Digital, ‘Trump’s main objective in meeting Lee Jae-myung is to secure a trade deal and, along with that, $350 billion in investments in the United States.’
‘He will also seek to push Lee to commit to a stronger stance against China, and to increase defense spending. Lee will seek to charm Trump, as the key to keeping the bilateral relationship on track is for Lee to have a stronger relationship with Trump.’
Lee is head of a left-leaning government that has so far shown reluctance to enhance South Korea’s partnership with the U.S. for fear of provoking Chinese backlash.
Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.
