Trump to discuss China's Russian oil cuts, targets 'complete deal' with with Xi
Trump confirmed he will meet Xi on Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea
- Oct 26, 2025,
- Updated Oct 26, 2025 8:38 AM IST
US President Donald Trump said he may discuss the decline in Chinese purchases of Russian oil with Xi Jinping when the two leaders meet this week, adding that he hopes for a "complete deal" to emerge from their talks.
Speaking to reporters en route to Asia for meetings with regional leaders, Trump confirmed he will meet Xi on Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. "We'll be talking about a lot of things. I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal," Trump said.
An increasingly tense standoff between the U.S. and China over trade, technology, and raw material restrictions has set the stage for the meeting. U.S. and Chinese negotiators met last weekend in Kuala Lumpur in talks a Treasury spokesperson described as "very constructive." Teams led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to resume discussions on Sunday.
Trump said China had "cut back very substantially" on buying Russian oil after the U.S. blacklisted Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, two major Russian energy firms, as part of its latest sanctions. "I may be discussing it, but you know China's - you probably saw today - China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we’ve done sanctions," he told reporters.
The U.S. sanctions, announced Wednesday, are the first major restrictions on Russia's petroleum industry since the war in Ukraine entered its fourth year. The White House has also warned foreign financial institutions that they risk exclusion from the U.S. financial system if they continue dealings with sanctioned Russian entities.
Trump said his discussions with Xi would also cover the agriculture sector and China's exports of fentanyl components, adding that direct dialogue between leaders was "the best way" to resolve longstanding issues, from tariffs and trade barriers to geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and Ukraine.
The meeting will mark the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Xi since the U.S. president's return to the White House in January. The two leaders have spoken at least three times this year.
US President Donald Trump said he may discuss the decline in Chinese purchases of Russian oil with Xi Jinping when the two leaders meet this week, adding that he hopes for a "complete deal" to emerge from their talks.
Speaking to reporters en route to Asia for meetings with regional leaders, Trump confirmed he will meet Xi on Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. "We'll be talking about a lot of things. I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal," Trump said.
An increasingly tense standoff between the U.S. and China over trade, technology, and raw material restrictions has set the stage for the meeting. U.S. and Chinese negotiators met last weekend in Kuala Lumpur in talks a Treasury spokesperson described as "very constructive." Teams led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to resume discussions on Sunday.
Trump said China had "cut back very substantially" on buying Russian oil after the U.S. blacklisted Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, two major Russian energy firms, as part of its latest sanctions. "I may be discussing it, but you know China's - you probably saw today - China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we’ve done sanctions," he told reporters.
The U.S. sanctions, announced Wednesday, are the first major restrictions on Russia's petroleum industry since the war in Ukraine entered its fourth year. The White House has also warned foreign financial institutions that they risk exclusion from the U.S. financial system if they continue dealings with sanctioned Russian entities.
Trump said his discussions with Xi would also cover the agriculture sector and China's exports of fentanyl components, adding that direct dialogue between leaders was "the best way" to resolve longstanding issues, from tariffs and trade barriers to geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and Ukraine.
The meeting will mark the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Xi since the U.S. president's return to the White House in January. The two leaders have spoken at least three times this year.