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President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping have started what is expected to be three to four hours of high-stakes in-person talks in hopes of lowering the temperature of a simmering trade war that has threatened to boil over and upend the global economy.

The two leaders arrived within minutes of each other Thursday morning local time at South Korea’s Gimhae Air Base, a military facility on the edge of Gimhae International Airport in Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea.

Speaking during a brief media availability at the top of their summit, Trump said he and Xi would have “a very successful meeting” and called Xi “a very tough negotiator.”

“We have a great understanding. We have a great relationship, we’ve always had a great relationship,” Trump said.

A few minutes later during a second photo opportunity before

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