SEOUL, 29 October (H.S.): U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for a two-day visit dominated by a crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which could broker a truce in the protracted trade war between the world's two largest economies.

The encounter, set for Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, marks the first face-to-face discussion between the leaders in six years.The summit in Gyeongju is the third and most consequential leg of Trump's Asian tour, following stops in Malaysia and Japan. Negotiators from Washington and Beijing have reportedly established a framework for a trade deal, but its final approval rests with the two presidents.

Analysts, however, caution that the two nations may have divergent objectives. The United States is eager to reach any trade deal that Trump could declare as a victory, noted William Yang of the International Crisis Group, whereas China is more focused on building more mutual trust and stabilizing the relationship.

In addition to the high-stakes meeting with Xi, Trump's agenda includes a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Their discussions are expected to center on a deadlocked bilateral trade agreement, with steep U.S. tariffs on South Korean automobiles remaining a significant point of contention.

Adding a layer of diplomatic intrigue, President Trump has extended an open invitation to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a meeting on the peninsula. While Trump has expressed his desire for a meeting, potentially to discuss sanctions, Pyongyang has yet to issue a public response. The two leaders last met at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in 2019.

Analysts suggest that Kim, now bolstered by closer ties with Russia, is in a stronger negotiating position than before and may not be pressed to accept the invitation. North Korea has time on its side and isn't as isolated as before, said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar