Trump says ‘there seems to be no reason’ to meet China’s Xi during Asia trip

US President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019 (Susan Walsh/AP)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday on his social media site that “there seems to be no reason” to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry.

Mr Trump suggested that he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Mr Xi’s moves.