Copyright timesnownews
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began high-stakes talks in the South Korean port city of Busan on Thursday, with both sides expressing cautious optimism about a potential breakthrough in their long-running trade standoff. Before heading into the meeting, Trump told reporters that a deal with China “could be” signed today. Responding to a question about whether he expected to reach an agreement, he said, “Could be. We all have a great understanding.” Months of Strained Ties The talks come after months of turbulence in US–China relations, despite a fragile truce agreed in May to halt a spiralling tariff war. Since then, Washington has continued to curb Beijing’s technological ambitions by tightening restrictions on access to advanced computing chips from Nvidia and other American firms. In a counter-move, Beijing has imposed stricter controls on its rare earth exports — critical materials that China dominates globally and which are essential for electronics, renewable energy, and defence manufacturing. Beyond trade and technology, the discussions are also expected to cover the fate of TikTok’s operations in the United States, a major sticking point that has drawn scrutiny from both governments. The outcome of the Busan talks could determine whether the two largest economies edge toward a new understanding or drift back into confrontation. Who’s at the Table At the meeting, Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and US Ambassador to China David Perdue. From Beijing’s side, Xi was accompanied by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Chief of Staff Cai Qi, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission Zheng Shanjie. Xi praised Trump’s contribution to truce in Gaza, saying the US president had been “very enthusiastic” in engaging on key security issues. “I appreciate your great contribution to the recent conclusion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” Xi said. “During your visit to Malaysia, you witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on peace along the Cambodia–Thailand border, to which you had provided input,” he added, noting that China had also been working to manage the border dispute “in our own way.” “We have also been promoting peace talks to resolve other hotspot issues,” Xi said, striking a conciliatory tone as the two leaders sat down to tackle what could be one of the most consequential trade negotiations in years.
