Trump to discuss fentanyl crisis with China’s Xi Jinping at summit

During the final leg of his Asian tour en route to South Korea, president Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, expressing confidence in his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping before they meet at an economic summit.

In response to a question about US efforts to curb fentanyl smuggling, Trump said the issue would be central to his discussions with Xi.

Ahead of his meeting with the Chinese leader, Trump said he hoped to make progress on “a lot of problems,” including fentanyl trafficking, trade, and tariffs.

“China will work with me, OK,” Trump told reporters. “They’ll work with me, and we’ll do something, I guess.”

Trump expects a “very happy” result before the direct confrontation with the Chinese President after threats to impose tariffs

Trump said the issue would be a major topic of discussion at his next meeting.

He said: “We have to have a meeting, a meeting tomorrow. This is a big meeting.” “And fentanyl will be one of the things we discuss. Farmers will discuss a lot of things, but fentanyl will be one of the things we discuss.”

Trump stated that the fentanyl crisis and drug trafficking across the southern border are directly linked, describing them as “massive amounts of death.”

“We received huge amounts of death,” he said. “I call them boats of death.” “Under Biden and the open borders, things were flowing. I think they killed 300,000 people last year — fentanyl was coming through the southern border. And now no one is getting through that. We’re very strict on the border.”

Border Patrol agents and a Special Operations Group member from the Texas Ranger Division seize 297 pounds of marijuana after a drug bust on the Mexico-US border in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, near McAllen, Texas. (Lauren Elliott/Reuters)

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Trump credited his policies with the sharp decline in illicit drug smuggling by sea, saying that it “decreased by about 80% by sea.”

He also praised US law enforcement and border officials for their efforts, saying: “Our border agents, our Border Patrol agents, they’ve been amazing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – these guys do a great job at what they do.”

The audience applauds as US President Donald Trump delivers his remarks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Luncheon at Jeonju Arts Center on October 29, 2025 in Jeonju, South Korea. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)

During his visit, Trump also commented on international security issues, including the conflict between Israel and Hamas and North Korea’s recent missile launches. He said he expected his meeting with Xi to be fruitful, adding, “I think we will have a great meeting with Chinese President Xi. Many problems will be resolved.”

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Trump’s comments highlighted his efforts to link border security and international cooperation as key priorities ahead of his meeting with Xi.