Trump Xi Meet Busan Seek US China Trade Truce

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, aiming to ease the ongoing trade war tensions between the two largest economies. This first face-to-face meeting since Trump's second term began focused on tariff reductions, including potentially lowering tariffs on Chinese goods linked to fentanyl, and on China resuming purchases of U.S. soybeans, important to American farmers. Despite optimism from Trump, China remained cautious about the talks, which also touch on export controls, rare earth minerals critical to technology industries, and broader geopolitical issues such as Taiwan's independence and technology disputes. Public opinion in the U.S. appears to be shifting away from supporting higher tariffs, with a majority now favoring economic cooperation, a change that may influence U.S. negotiation stances. Experts note that while competition between the U.S. and China will continue, both economies are interdependent, necessitating stable relations. The meeting reflects a complex balance of economic leverage, geopolitical rivalry, and mutual economic need, with hopes that the discussions will inject new momentum into stabilizing U.S.-China relations.