Crystal Dike
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held what Trump described as an “amazing” meeting on Thursday, October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea — their first face-to-face encounter in six years — amid renewed hopes of easing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Beijing was more restrained, saying both sides had reached a consensus to resolve “major trade issues.”
Although the talks did not produce a formal trade agreement, the tone suggested progress toward a deal that has long been the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations.
Trump’s trade war with China had triggered tit-for-tat tariffs exceeding 100% on both sides, but a truce was declared in May. Despite that, tensions remained high in the months leading up to this meeting.
One key outcome from the talks was China’s decision to suspend export control measures on rare earth minerals—essential materials for manufacturing smartphones, electric vehicles, and military equipment.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, a jubilant Trump said China had also agreed to immediately resume large-scale purchases of soybeans and other US farm products. Beijing’s earlier retaliatory tariffs had severely hit American farmers, a vital voter base for Trump.
There was, however, no breakthrough on the issue of TikTok. The US continues to push for separating the app’s American operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance on national security grounds.
Meanwhile, Washington announced plans to drop part of the tariffs imposed on Chinese exports related to ingredients used in fentanyl production, though other duties—taxing Chinese goods entering the US at over 40%—will remain.
Trump also revealed that Beijing had invited him to visit China in April, calling it a sign of “thawing relations.”
Xi, for his part, remained composed throughout the meeting. He said the two countries would work toward “outcomes that will serve as a reassuring pill” for both economies.
Observers noted the subdued tone of the encounter compared to earlier stops on Trump’s Asian tour. Gone were the lavish receptions seen in Japan and South Korea earlier in the week. The Thursday meeting took place inside a secured airport facility, away from public spectacle but carrying immense diplomatic weight.
Henry Wang, a former adviser to China’s State Council, told the BBC that while no deal was signed, the meeting had “laid a framework and structure” for future negotiations, describing it as “a good start.”