Trump-Xi “Big Meeting” Set as Tariffs and Rare Earths Tensions Boil

A new flare-up in the US-China trade war forms the tense backdrop for a “big meeting” between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The two leaders are set to meet this Thursday in South Korea.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Speaking from Tokyo, President Trump confirmed the details, saying he would be meeting President Xi the “day after tomorrow.”
Tensions have escalated sharply in recent weeks. The US threatened to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese goods effective November 1. This move was a direct retaliation for Beijing’s decision to tighten its control over the export of rare earth minerals, a key leverage point for China.
The conflict deepened with the US imposing additional port fees on Chinese ships, which in turn sparked a new wave of countermeasures from China. This ends a recent period of relative quiet in the ongoing economic dispute.
Despite the rising friction, President Trump struck a remarkably optimistic tone. He predicted the talks would “work out very well” and be “great for everybody,” suggesting a pathway to resolution might be found during their face-to-face discussion.