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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Modest hopes for Xi-Trump summit as China and US count down to South Korea talks

Beijing and Washington have some room to manoeuvre but the big structural issues remain, observers say

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The Chinese and US presidents are expected to meet in South Korea on Thursday morning. Photo: Various sources
Shi Jiangtao
As the presidents of China and the United States prepare to meet in South Korea next week, observers remain sceptical of breakthroughs but see potential for incremental steps towards mutual de-escalation of US-China tensions.
Without confirming a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump, China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Xi Jinping would visit South Korea from October 30 to November 1 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Gyeongju.

The White House, however, announced on Thursday that the two leaders would meet on the morning of October 30, following Trump’s first post-re-election trip to Malaysia and Japan.

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Set against a backdrop of renewed tariff threats, rare earth export restrictions, and a widening array of unresolved disputes from technology sanctions to Taiwan, experts were divided on the prospects for the first Xi-Trump summit of the American leader’s second term.

While some anticipated limited concessions, such as a pause in tariff escalation, incremental agricultural purchases or adjustments to China’s rare earth policies, others warned of deep structural impasses that had locked their strategic rivalry into a prolonged downward spiral of confrontation.

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Yun Sun, director of the China programme and co-director of the East Asia programme at the Stimson Centre in Washington, said the bilateral summit was a necessary step towards de-escalation and its outcome would be positive and modest.

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