Diplomatic double standards? Trump quietly preparing meeting with Xi after slamming India

US President Donald Trump is quietly laying the groundwork for a visit to South Korea in October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, CNN reported on Sunday. 

The summit, scheduled to take place in Gyeongju between late October and early November, is being considered as a potential venue for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. While there have been serious discussions about a bilateral meeting between the two leaders, no firm plans have yet been set.

Interestingly, this comes just a week after key US officials targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meeting Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit in Tianjin.  

Last month, Xi extended an invitation to Trump and his wife to visit China during a phone call. Trump reciprocated the gesture, although neither side has confirmed any travel dates.

A White House official told CNN that the administration views the visit to South Korea as an opportunity to advance economic collaboration. "A visit to South Korea is being discussed, which would focus on economic collaboration," the official said. Trade, defense, and civil nuclear cooperation are also on the agenda.

The trip may include additional stops, but details are still being finalised. Officials told CNN that Trump hopes to use the trip to attract more foreign investment into the United States, a goal that has defined his recent overseas visits, including to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Another potential outcome of the trip could be a renewed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though whether Kim will attend the APEC summit remains uncertain. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung extended the APEC invitation during a meeting with Trump last week, suggesting it could also serve as a platform for engagement with Kim.

"I will do that, and we'll have talks. He’d like to meet with me," Trump reportedly said when asked about meeting Kim. "We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better."

Trump's diplomatic efforts in the region come at a moment of heightened tension. Xi recently hosted Kim and Putin in Beijing for a military parade that also served as a display of strategic unity. 

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro targeted India, accusing Prime Minister Modi of "getting in bed with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world: Putin and Xi Jinping". Navarro accused Modi of aligning with "authoritarians," calling the move "shameful" and urging New Delhi to rethink its foreign policy priorities.

"It was a shame to see Modi getting in bed as a leader of the biggest democracy in the world with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world-Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn't make any sense. I am not sure what he's thinking. We hope he comes around to seeing that he needs to be with us, Europe and Ukraine not Russia," Navarro said.

Trump reacted sharply to the gathering. "May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," he wrote on Truth Social.

He later posted an image of the trio, commenting, "Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!"

While speaking from the Oval Office this week during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump offered his own reading of the Chinese military display. "I understood the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching - and I was watching," Trump said, calling it a "beautiful ceremony" and "very impressive." He added, "My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two."

A potential meeting with Xi would come amid ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China. Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports in April, which prompted Beijing to retaliate with a 125% levy on US goods. Though those tariffs were scheduled to resume last month, Trump signed an executive order delaying the escalation until November as talks progressed.

The two countries have held a series of in-person meetings in Europe involving top economic advisers, attempting to stabilize the trade relationship.