Copyright pravda
During the October 30 talks in the South Korean city of Busan, U.S. President Donald Trump may have asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to pressure Russia over the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, though such efforts appear unlikely to succeed. According to Trump, the Ukraine issue was raised “very sharply” during the meeting, and both sides discussed it at length. “We will work together to see if we can do something,” the U.S. president said following the meeting. The summit marked the first personal meeting between Trump and Xi in six years, their last encounter having taken place at the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019. Xi also visited San Francisco in 2023 for talks with Joe Biden, his first trip to the United States since 2017. No Breakthroughs on Key Issues Neither Washington nor Beijing achieved their objectives during the Busan talks. In addition to Ukraine, Trump raised several Russia-related issues, but the Chinese delegation gave no substantive response. The U.S. side had also expected to discuss Russia–China energy cooperation, as Beijing remains the leading buyer of Russian resources. However, China adopted a cautious tone and declined to expand on these topics. The summit also failed to ease the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. No deal was reached on rare earth metals, materials critical to America’s defense and high-tech industries. The brief duration of the meeting—less than two hours—was viewed as another sign of limited progress, especially compared to the lengthy discussions Xi typically holds with Vladimir Putin. Nuclear Testing and Arms Control Another major issue discussed was nuclear deterrence. After the talks, Trump ordered the immediate resumption of U.S. nuclear weapons testing, saying tests would be conducted “on equal terms” with other nations possessing similar programs. He added that Washington is also holding separate discussions with Moscow on this matter. Trump is reportedly interested in involving China in a new strategic arms reduction treaty, as the current New START agreement expires in early 2026. Both Russia and the United States have expressed the desire to include Beijing in future talks, but China continues to resist participation. Delicate Topics Avoided Beyond the war in Ukraine, the status of Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues between Washington and Beijing. The two sides deliberately avoided the topic during the Busan meeting to prevent further tensions amid an already strained geopolitical environment.
