Bessent raises possibility of 4 Trump-Xi meetings next year

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, Oct. 30. Reuters-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet in person four times next year, noting that their meetings, if held, would give the bilateral relationship "great stability."

Bessent made the remarks in a CNBC interview, a day after Trump said that during Monday's call with Xi, he accepted Xi's invitation to visit Beijing in April next year, and that the Chinese leader will pay a state visit to the United States later that year.

"President Trump is going to do a state visit to Beijing. Xi is going to come to the U.S. for a state visit. He will also be in the U.S. for the G20 (summit) at Doral (in Florida), and President Trump may attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November," Bessent said.

"So if there are four meetings during the year, I think that that gives the relationship great stability, and stability is good for the American people and good for the world economy," he added.

The secretary underlined the importance of high-level engagement between Washington and Beijing, which he said would help ensure that "bad things" do not happen.

"It was the strong relationship ... President Trump showing leadership that sort of calmed things down between the two countries. And look, we are always going to be rivals. That's natural," he said. "But are there things we can do together? Yes, we have the relationship in a good place."

Following the latest call with Xi, Trump wrote on social media that he and Xi discussed the war between Ukraine and Russia, fentanyl, soybeans and other farm products, noting that the two sides have "done a good and very important" deal for American farmers.

He also said that the U.S. and China can set their sights on the "big picture." He did not elaborate.

The call followed their in-person meeting in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 30 before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Trump's envisioned visit to Beijing next year drew keen attention in Seoul amid speculation that he could attempt to rekindle his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un when he is in Northeast Asia. He has repeatedly expressed his openness to resuming engagement with Kim.