October 25, 2025

The peaceful calm between the US and China cracked wide open recently! After months of a delicate balance, Washington stepped up its game by expanding tech restrictions and suggesting new taxes on Chinese ships docked at American ports. This sudden stir led to urgent talks between the world’s top two economies. On a bright Saturday morning in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese and US officials began a crucial meeting, says China’s official Xinhua news agency. Leading the teams were Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, a close ally of President Xi Jinping, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Their mission? To turn down the heat from recent aggressive moves by both nations and prepare for a big showdown between Xi and US President Donald Trump at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea this Thursday. Earlier in October, Trump didn’t hold back. When China promised to tighten controls on rare-earth elements—key to many tech products—Trump threatened huge tariffs on Chinese goods and even hinted he might cancel his first face-to-face meeting with Xi this year. Talk about raising the stakes! Right now, both countries are battling over a trade truce set to expire on November 10 unless they renew it. The fragile peace shattered after the US introduced tighter tech bans and planned tariffs on Chinese ships entering US harbors. China fired back with its own measures, including strict export controls on rare earths and vital materials. This Monday, China’s Ministry of Commerce called a rare, large meeting in Beijing with foreign companies. They wanted to calm nerves, explaining their new export rules aren’t meant to block normal trade but to protect critical resources. The world watches eagerly as these heavyweight talks unfold. Will the leaders’ summit cool the trade storms, or will tensions keep boiling? Stay tuned!

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Tags: Us-china relations, Trade talks, Tech restrictions, Rare earth elements, Xi jinping, Donald trump,