US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Wednesday on the eve of crunch trade talks with China's Xi Jinping, while also announcing that a deal with South Korea was "pretty much" finalised.

Agreeing a truce in the US-China trade war in the meeting with Xi on Thursday in South Korea would mark a fitting grand finale to Trump's Asia tour marked by praise, pomp and presents.

But a new meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the close of the marathon voyage looked unlikely, with the US president saying "timing" didn't work out.

Beijing said the talks between Xi and Trump would take place in South Korea's Busan, with the US leader telling reporters "a lot of problems are going to be solved" at the "great meeting".

Global markets will zero in on the outcome to determine

See Full Page