Donald Trump has told a room full of CEOs at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea that he believes the US is "going to have a deal" with China and it will be "a good deal for both"
The US President is meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday for much-anticipated discussions on their countries' trade war
Trump is meeting the South Korean president Lee Jae Myung who is under pressure to finalise a trade deal
He was given a lavish welcome where Lee awarded him the country's highest honour, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, for his "contribution to peace on the Korean peninsula"
Trump's arrival was preceded by North Korea test-firing missiles. He expressed interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but later said they could not "work out a timing"
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Watch: Donald Trump arrives in South Korea
Edited by Ayeshea Perera and Tessa Wong in Singapore, with reporting from Jake Kwon and Laura Bicker in Gyeongju, and Anthony Zurcher travelling with the US President
Earlier, Donald Trump called India's prime minister Narendra Modi "a killer" and "tough as hell" during a speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea.
The president also imitated Modi while reflecting on discussions he had with the Indian leader in May.
Here is a clip of that moment:
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Watch: Trump imitates India's PM Narendra Modi in South Korea
Good afternoon from South Korea and Singapore, where we are following US president Donald Trump's whirlwind tour of Asia. The two leaders have just wrapped up a private one-on-one meeting and we are waiting to hear more about what they have discussed.
But here is a quick summary of what has happened so far to catch you up:
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.
The bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Lee Jae Myung ended a few minutes ago. They appeared to have had a lengthy chat which lasted about one and a half hours.
We'll update you when more lines from their meeting come out.
China's foreign ministry has confirmed the meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping – the first confirmation of this meeting we've got from Beijing.
Up until now, the meeting was only talked about by the White House.
It will take place in the city of Busan on Thursday, shortly after Xi lands in South Korea to attend the Apec summit.
This will be the two leaders' first face to face meeting since Trump assumed office in 2025 and imposed tariffs on every country in the world.
In the lead-up to his trip to South Korea, Trump had publicly expressed interest several times in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
But he has since confirmed that it's not going to happen.
"I know Kim Jong Un very well… we really weren't able to work out timing," Trump has said, adding that he plans to "straighten out" tensions between North and South Korea.
Trump met Kim three times in his previous term as president – in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.
Trump was the first sitting US President to meet a North Korean leader in person, and the first to set foot in North Korean soil, when he briefly stepped over a divider at the DMZ meeting.
While he had previously boasted of their close relationship as them being "in love", he was unable to convince the North Korean leader to give up nuclear weapons.
Leehyun Choi
Reporting from Gyeongju
Outside the Gyeongju National Museum, where anti-Trump protesters have gathered, police have begun forcibly dispersing the crowd and arresting some people.
They're taking out protesters one by one, lifting them up by the limbs and carrying them out.
The protesters are screaming, "Huddle together and lie down!"
As the two presidents have their working lunch, here's what we know about their menu, according to a statement from South Korea's presidential office.
Jake Kwon
Seoul correspondent, reporting from Gyeongju
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae Myung has a major task on his hands.
He needs to deliver a trade deal to lower the 25% tariffs Trump imposed on South Korea.
When Lee visited the Oval Office in August, he deployed the same tactic many world leaders have adopted: flattery.
Lee’s way into Trump’s heart was to suggest he sit down with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. Lee praised Trump as a "peacemaker" and said he would serve as Trump’s "pacemaker", referring to those who run alongside marathon competitors to help them keep pace.
However, in the past few days we heard from Lee that the trade talks may have stalled again.
A breakthrough might require a personal intervention from Trump. Now we wait to see whether Lee’s tactic was enough.
Anthony Zurcher
Traveling with the president
Bilateral talks between Trump and Lee have begun.
In his opening remarks, Trump says his arrival at the venue was "some spectacle" and a "very special welcome".
Noting the long-standing tensions between North and South Korea, Trump says "we will see what we can do to get that all straightened out," he says.
Trump notes that they weren't able to arrange a meeting with Kim Jong Un during this trip.
Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent
The main item on Trump’s agenda today will be the unresolved trade agreement between the US and South Korea.
Both sides have played down the prospect of a breakthrough in talks.
The two allies announced a deal in late July under which South Korea would avoid the worst of the tariffs by agreeing to pump $350bn of new investments into the United States.
But talks over the structure of those investments have been deadlocked.
South Korea’s electronics, chip and auto industries are hoping for some clarity amidst the tariff chaos and uncertainty.
Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Gyeongju
The anti-Trump protest outside the Gyeongju museum hosting the US president is small by South Korean standards.
But they are determined.
The group of 40-50 people are sitting on the road and refusing to move while continuing to chant “No Trump”.
They ran towards the museum just minutes after Donald Trump’s motorcade had passed. The police were quick to stop them and buses blocked the road.
There are now around three times more police than protestors.
South Korean officials appear to be taking no chances while Donald Trump remains inside the museum. More teams have arrived with riot shields
Inside the National Museum, Trump received the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea's highest decoration.
He's the first US president to receive the award, and this comes "in recognition of his contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula", the South Korean presidential office said.
"This is really beautiful," Trump says as he examines the award. "I can wear it right now." There's some laughter from the audience.
Leehyun Choi
Reporting from Gyeongju
Trump's motorcade has just arrived at Gyeongju National Museum. We can hear them being greeted with traditional Korean music inside.
Some protesters with "No Trump" signs pushed past security and rushed towards the intersection to the National Museum, shortly after Trump's motorcade passed through.
Their demand: retract South Korea's investments in the US. They're repeating slogans like: "Cancel the US investments! Trump get out of here! Protect our sovereignty!"
South Korean president Lee Jae Myung promised in August to invest $350bn in the US; in exchange Trump agreed to lower tariffs from 25% to 15%.
But since then Washington has increased its demands, pushing for cash investments in the US as part of trade talks.Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Gyeongju
"No Trump!" a rally of hundreds shouted in the centre of South Korea's capital Seoul over the weekend.
"No China," chanted another rally nearby.
This is an indication of the diplomatic dance South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung will have to perform this week as he hosts the leaders of both the US and China.
Seoul is – and has long been – a key US ally. It still needs Washington's protection, but it also needs China, its biggest trading partner and a vital market for exports.
After Lee visited the White House in August, South Korea thought it had appeased its powerful friend – Trump agreed to lower tariffs from 25% to 15%.
But then more than 300 South Koreans were detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US state of Georgia. This has shaken ties – especially because Hyundai is a major investor in the US.
Anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea has also grown steadily in recent years. Chinese interference became a common trope in conspiracy theories about former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol.
However Lee chooses to navigate between the world's two biggest economies, it's hard to imagine how he can afford to alienate either.
Read more about South Korea's delicate dance between the US and China.
Donald Trump will be awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the country's highest decoration, South Korea's presidential office has announced.
This makes him the first US president to receive the honour.
The award is "in recognition of his contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula and his continued role as a 'peacemaker'", the presidential office said in a statement.
Earlier during his speech, Trump spoke about his talks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the conflict with Pakistan.
He described Modi as the "nicest looking guy" and "like a father".
"He's a killer, he's as tough as hell," Trump said before apparently impersonating Modi by saying "No, we will fight" in an accent.
Trump added that after two days, India called the US and said it would soften its stance.
"Isn't that amazing?," Trump asked.
And that's the end of Trump's speech at the Apec CEOs summit.
The crowd stands to applaud as he leaves the stage, clapping his hands and waving.
Trump says he's "ended eight wars in eight months, and in many instances trade has played a big part in getting those wars ended."
Trump credited trade as a negotiating tactic in disputes, from the Thai-Cambodian border to the conflict between India and Pakistan, to the Middle East.
Tariffs are projected to reduce the US trade deficit by $4tn over the next 10 years, Trump says, adding that he thinks it's "actually much more than that".
"That's national security, because you can't have deficits and you can't have debt all over the place".
Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in South Korea tomorrow.
"I think we're going to have a deal," he says, adding that it will be a "good deal for both".
He says that will be a great result that's "better than fighting" and going through "all sorts of problems".
"The world is watching and I think we'll have something that's very exciting for everybody."
"Economic security is national security," Trump says. "That's for South Korea, that's for any country."
He says the global trading system was "broken" and "in urgent need of reform", exploited by "countries that broke the rules" at the expense of those who followed the rules.
Apec nations have worked together to make the system fairer and more sustainable, he says.
"Eight years later I'm back here in Asia," Trump says, hailing the "positive vision" he laid out before is now a "reality".
He pauses to thank the audience as they applaud.
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