The talks aim to address escalating trade tensions between the two nations, focusing on China's recent expansion of export controls on rare earth minerals and President Donald Trump's threat to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1.
The meetings are scheduled to coincide with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which Malaysia is hosting from October 24 to 27. This timing underscores the urgency of resolving the trade disputes to ensure the planned summit between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping proceeds as scheduled.
The U.S. has expressed concerns that China's export restrictions on rare earths, critical materials for high-tech industries, are retaliatory measures in response to the U.S. expanding its export blacklist. These tensions have disrupted a recent period of warming ties, including a successful agreement related to the TikTok app and a phone call between Presidents Trump and Xi on September 19.
As the two largest economies in the world, the U.S. and China are under pressure to de-escalate the trade tensions to prevent further economic fallout. The outcome of the upcoming talks could have significant implications for global trade dynamics and the broader geopolitical landscape.
Rania Umutoni
