On Thursday, President Donald Trump engaged in a pivotal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where discussions centered on trade relations between the globe’s two largest economies.

As they exchanged greetings, Trump expressed optimism, stating, “I’m confident we’ll have a very successful meeting.” He acknowledged Xi as a “very tough negotiator.”

Trump also lauded Xi, describing him as a “great leader of a great country.”

He further remarked, “I believe we’re going to establish a fantastic relationship that will endure for many years.”

Just before their meeting, Trump took to Truth Social to announce that he had directed the Defense Department to commence the testing of U.S. nuclear weapons on a level playing field with China and Russia.

The president did not answer questions from reporters about soybean purchases, Taiwan, or his shift on nuclear testing.

As White House officials sat across from Xi and Chinese officials, Trump did not answer a question about why he opted to resume the nuclear program less than an hour before the sit-down.

Trump has frequently spoken warmly about Xi and downplayed tensions between Washington and Beijing. But the two countries have slapped tariffs on the others imports, China has stopped buying soybeans from American farmers, and some foreign policy hawks have raised concerns about Xi’s relationship with other autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Thursday’s meeting was expected to focus heavily on trade negotiations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday negotiators for the two countries had established a framework of an agreement for the two leaders to sign off on and avoid higher tariffs.