Key facts
- President Donald Trump may attend the Apec summit in China in November 2026.
- A meeting at the Apec summit could be Trump's fourth with Xi Jinping in 2026.
- This level of engagement would be unprecedented for a US president.
- Donald Trump expressed admiration for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
- Trump praised Xi Jinping's 'great stature' and 'confidence'.
- Trump's comments were made on The Axios Show.
- His admiration was described as a 'wild plot twist'.
President Donald Trump is contemplating a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in China in November 2026. If this meeting occurs, it would mark the fourth time Trump and Xi have met within that year, a level of engagement that would be unprecedented for a sitting US president. This potential diplomatic interaction comes as US-China diplomacy undergoes a shift.
Separately, Donald Trump recently shared his positive views on Chinese leader Xi Jinping during an appearance on The Axios Show. Trump described his fondness for Xi, specifically highlighting his "great stature" and "confidence," along with his intelligence. This expression of admiration has been characterized by some as a "wild plot twist," given the typical tenor of US-China relations.