Trump-Xi to Meet as Rare Earths Controls Rattle Trade Relations

President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping will meet on Thursday as China’s new controls on rare earth exports rattle trade relations and trigger new US tariff threats.
The high-stakes meeting will take place in South Korea during the APEC summit. Speaking from Japan, Trump was optimistic, calling it a “big meeting” that “is going to work out very well.”
The trade war flared up recently when Beijing tightened its grip on rare earths, a critical resource. The US responded by threatening 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, starting November 1.
This escalation, which also includes new US port fees and Chinese countermeasures, has raised fears of a deepening economic conflict.
Trump, whose Asia trip is focused on trade, struck a confident note. He called the upcoming talks “fantastic” and said the outcome would be “great for everybody.”